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January — March 1986 r*nt Number 976

A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY FOR THE NORTH OF ENGLAND

The Further Decline of Black Grouse in the Peak District
1975-1985 — D. W. Yalden

The Insect Fauna of Common Rock-Rose Helianthemum
chamaecistus Mill, around Stamford, Lincolnshire —

B. N. K. Davis

A New Species of Poecilochirus (Acari: Parasitidae) from
Yorkshire — Keith H. Hyatt

Entomological Reports for 1973-1983 Coleoptera: Part 2,
Haliplidae — Scolytidae — J. H. Flint

Published by the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union

Editor M. R. D. Seaward, MSc, PhD, DSc, FLS, The University, Bradford

The Lepidoptera of Yorkshire

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A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY FOR THE NORTH OF ENGLAND

Editor M. R. D. Seaward, MSc, PhD, DSc, FLS, The University, Bradford

Volume 111
1986

Published by the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union

THE FURTHER DECLINE OF BLACK GROUSE IN THE PEAK DISTRICT

1975-1985

D. W. YALDEN

Department of Zoology, The University, Manchester Ml 3 9PL
Introduction

As a result of detailed counts made by my colleagues in 1973-1975, we were able to assess
the status of the Black Grouse Lyrurus tetrix in the Peak District of England at that time;
our ‘best estimate’ was of 65 cocks and, assuming a 1:1 sex ratio, a total population in
spring of around 130 birds (Lovenbury et al. 1978). The drastic decline of the species in
Cheshire and Derbyshire was documented, but we observed that the population in the
Staffordshire sector of the Peak District had apparently stayed fairly steady in post-war
years. This relative stability of the Staffordshire section of the population, in contrast to
the decline of the Derbyshire and Cheshire segments, was attributed to the relatively
stable habitat conditions which also obtained in Staffordshire but not in the other two
counties.

Unfortunately, the situation in Staffordshire has not remained constant in the
subsequent decade; the Black Grouse population has declined markedly, largely as a
result of accompanying habitat changes. This paper, then, is a sequel to the earlier report,
documenting the habitat changes, the decline in Black Grouse numbers through the
decade, and the current (1985) situation.

Methods

A number of ornithologists have kept various segments of the local Black Grouse
population under surveillance during the decade; in particular, C. Linfoot and E. Gibson
have supplied detailed counts for some sites. The most valuable records are counts of
males displaying at the leks, but not all leks have been surveyed each year. In April 1985,
M. Waterhouse (R.S.P.B.) organised a group of 29 local naturalists to undertake a
simultaneous count at all lek sites on one morning and he also made counts himself in 1984
and 1985 at many leks. Miscellaneous counts from other ornithologists, myself included,
and my own notes on habitat changes, have been incorporated in this account.

One continuing problem has been the level of disturbance from visiting bird-watchers,
who have come from as far away as Essex, Surrey and Norfolk; it is rare now, at a
weekend at any time of the year, to visit the principal remaining.site without finding other
bird-watchers already present. (Despite this and an appeal in British Birds, no information
on numbers of Black Grouse seen has come from other than local naturalists.) Precise
locations have therefore been withheld; lek sites are referred to by letter, continuing the
coding of the previous account.

Results

Cheshire In the period since the previous account, the species which was already
apparently extinct as a breeding bird has apparently disappeared completely from the
county. A little more historical evidence has become available concerning previous
locations. In Lyme Park, occasional sightings in 1947-1949, and a cock on one date in
1952, were followed by nine records of one or two birds in the 1960s, culminating in six or
seven sightings in 1970, but none since (Mrs K. Penney in litt. 17.iv.78). The annual
county bird reports have single records for 1979 (two females) and 1980 (one female),
both in winter in the Macclesfield Forest area, but no records at all since then (Cheshire
Bird Reports 1978-1982). Fieldwork for a tetrad-based atlas of breeding birds, carried out
from 1978 to 1984, yielded no records of the species in the county at all during the
breeding seasons (Elphick et al. in prep.).

Naturalist 111 (1986)

4 The Further Decline of Black Grouse in the Peak District 1975-1985

Derbyshire The situation in the mid-1970s was of only two small populations, one in the
Goyt Valley area and the other in the north-east of the county (Frost 1978, Lovenbury et
al. 1978). In the Goyt Valley, the highest number of cocks seen on any one date has
declined fairly steadily from 8 in 1973 to 5 in 1974, only 1 in 1975 then 3, 6, 2, 1,2, 1, 1, 1,
and 1 in subsequent years up to 1984 (Derby. Bird Reports; G. Howe, A. Booth, J. V.
Oxenham pers. comm.). The situation in N.E. Derbyshire is a little less readily
disentangled due to an understandable reluctance to disclose specific sites and counts.
Nevertheless, the numbers of cocks reported each year in the period 1977-1983 from this
general area did not exceed 3 (in 1980 and 1981). The report of 18 cocks in 1976 looks
erroneous in the light of both previous and subsequent figures (Derbyshire Bird Reports;
Sheffield Bird Reports). Subsequent information clarifies the situation somewhat. One
lek site increased from 1972 to 1976, when a peak of 9 cocks was counted, but then
declined to only 2 cocks in 1985 (G. Mawson pers. comm.). A second, scattered, lek seems
to have increased slowly from 1-2 cocks in 1975-76 to possibly 5 cocks in 1985. There
seems no reason to believe that the Derbyshire population of Black Grouse exceeds 8
cocks at present (by implication, 16 birds); even this represents a decline from the 10 cocks
estimated in 1973 (Lovenbury et al. 1978).

Yorkshire Single sightings in the Yorkshire area of the Peak District on 6 Dec. 1975 and 7
Mar. 1976 are the only recent records, and there is no evidence of the species breeding in
the south of the county (Sheffield Bird Reports, Hornbuckle & Herringshaw 1985).

Staffordshire Information for the Staffordshire area of the Peak District is of two kinds.
Some major leks have been under regular observation for most of the period 1977-1983
and these counts are useful for documenting the time of the declines (E. Gibson, C. R.
Linfoot pers. comm.). In 1984 and 1985, attempts were made to visit all the possible lek
sites, culminating in a simultaneous count by 29 volunteers on 28 April 1985 (M.
Waterhouse pers. comm.). These counts enable a direct comparison with the counts
obtained in 1973-1975. Information from the Annual Reports of the West Midland Bird
Club, and my own notes, are also incorporated (Table 1).

The area including leks A and B held, we thought, 12 cocks in 1973. Up to 7 cocks were
present at lek A in 1975, but it is reported that birds were shot on this lek in 1976. Since
that time, the highest number reported was 2 cocks in 1983; in 1984 and 1985, only a single
cock was present at one lek, and none at the other.

The area of leks C, D and E held about 13 cocks in 1973-1975, the counts being
somewhat confused because of the degree of interchange observed between these leks. In
1976 and 1977, there seemed to be a shift of the centre of activity of this sub-population,
away from leks C and D toward lek E. This change seems to have been associated with the
growth of a young conifer plantation, and its ground vegetation, which had been planted
nearby in 1972. The attendance of cocks at this lek increased from 6 in 1976 to 9, 11 and 9
in 1977-1979, but then declined sharply to 4 in 1980 and 1981, 1 in 1982, and none in 1983;
there were no cocks on any of the leks C, D and E or their neighbourhoods in 1984 and
and only one seen in 1985. Here too, there are reports of considerable human disturbance
and persecution. In 1980, lambing of sheep in the field used by lek E, and disturbance
from bird watchers, had caused the birds to disperse to alternative fields, and in the winter
of 1981-1982 it is reported that 2 cocks and 3 hens were shot nearby. One version of this
story alleges that they were shot because the farmer was no longer willing to tolerate
trespassing bird-watchers trying to get close views of the birds.

At lek F and the associated lek G, the population of around 13 cocks in 1973-75
remained steady until at least 1981 or 1982, when 13 and 11 cocks, respectively, were
recorded. There is some indication of a subsequent decline, however, with 5 cocks in 1983,
but 6 in 1984 and 9 in 1985.

The small leks H-M have not been counted regularly. They held a total of 17 cocks in
1973-75, with no more than 4 cocks at any one site. In 1984 and 1985, these sites
collectively held 9 and 8 cocks, respectively, with 4 again the highest figure at any one site.

TABLE 1

Population (counts of displaying cocks) of Black Grouse at lek sites in the Peak District. 1973-1975 counts from Lovenbury et al. 1978. Highest

counts in any one season are given for other years.

The Further Decline of Black Grouse in the Peak District 1975-1985

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6 The Further Decline of Black Grouse in the Peak District 1975-1985

Causes of Decline

In the previous report (Lovenbury et al. 1978), information on the habitat requirements of
Black Grouse, culled from the general literature on the species, was used to try to explain
the decline of the Black Grouse in Derbyshire, and the then relative stability of the species
in Staffordshire. The complex habitat requirements of the species were emphasized — it is
clearly a bird of the moorland fringes, requiring pasture, moorland and scrubby
woodland, and moreover requiring these to be mixed in a tight habitat mosaic. It was
suggested that, in particular, this mosaic had persisted in the Staffordshire moorlands,
whereas it had been replaced in the former Derbyshire sites by large blocks of uniform
habitat. The particular needs of the species which each of these components supplies is
still not clear; the explanations advanced by Lovenbury et al. (1978) have been criticised
by some Derbyshire ornithologists (Lichfield 1977a, b; Kitchen 1978a, b; Alfeton W. E. A.
1979) and defended (Yalden 1979). The requirements may include clear visibility at the
leks, provided by the pastures; good escape routes and cover nearby, provided by
moorland and woodland; safe roost and nest sites, provided by the ground vegetation of
meadows, moorland and woodland; nutritious food in spring, prior to egg-laying, from,
especially, bilberry shoots, cotton-grass flowers and clover shoots in the moorland and
pastures; berries in the autumn, mostly from moorland (bilberry, crowberry, cowberry)
but also from woodland and scrub (rowan, hawthorn); and ‘winter emergency’ food, when
the ground vegetation is snow-covered, in the form of birch buds and catkins, larch shoots
and pine shoots (Lovenbury et al. 1978, Cramp and Simmons 1980, N. Piccozzi pers.
comm.). To these may be added, as a result of recent work in the Netherlands, an
adequate supply of insects, from damp grasslands, for the young chicks in their first 3
weeks of life (Niewold, 1982).

It is clear that some of the decline of the Staffordshire Black Grouse population can be
ascribed directly to shooting. However, one would expect a healthy population, one
moreover dispersed over approximately 85 km2, to be able to recover from such mortality
so long as the habitat remains suitable. The fact is that there have also been very
considerable changes in the habitat of this area in the intervening period, so many, in fact,
that it is still difficult to ascribe the decline of the species to any one cause.

The decline has been most severe in the area around leks A-E, where the population
has collapsed from 25 cocks to 1 cock — that is, roughly half the former population has
been lost. This is the area, west of the Buxton-Leek A. 53 road, where habitat change has
been most marked. In Oct. 1977, the moorland of the Swythamley Estate, totalling
around 550 ha, was sold to sheep farmers, following the death in January 1975 of the
former owner, Sir Philip Brocklehurst. The main blocks of moorland, 82 ha on Back
Forest and 251 ha on the Roaches, plus a small area of 28 ha on Hen Cloud, formed part of
one sheep run; between 800 and 1200 sheep grazed this area from January 1978, through
the severe winter of 1978-79, until March 1980. At this point, the Peak Park Planning
Board bought the moorland to prevent further deterioration of the heather and ensure
public access to the area. Subsequently, about 300 sheep have been grazed in summer only
on the Roaches, but none at all (except for 20 or so ‘trespassers’) on Back Forest. The
moorland showed severe signs of grazing damage in 1979, and the bilberry in particular
has not really recovered its full vigour 6 years later. Birch and pine scrub was also severely
affected, with a pronounced browse line appearing at 1.3 m which is still evident in 1985.
With the increased publicity, and the opening and expansion of a large Youth Hostel and
campsite at Gradbach, public use (disturbance) of the area is much more severe now. It is
difficult to know which of these changes have most affected use by the Black Grouse of
this area, but it has certainly declined. In the years 1969-72, I made 37 visits to the Back
Forest area, and saw Black Grouse on 24 of them, for a total of approximately 159
bird-days; in the years 1978-85, on 96 visits, I saw Black Grouse on only 8 days, for a total
of 14 bird-days. These sightings were mostly in winter, particularly in snowy weather, and
the presumption has been that Black Grouse use (or used) the area mainly as a feeding
area in bad weather.

Another part of the former Swythamley Estate, 75 ha of moorland on Gun Hill, also

The Further Decline of Black Grouse in the Peak District 1975-1985

contained a small conifer plantation with stunted Scots Pine and a lush ground cover of
bilberry. This area was stocked with about 300 sheep, from 1978, and still receives very
heavy grazing. The scrub has been severely browsed, there is a pronounced browse line at
1.5 m, and all the ground cover in the wood has gone; on the moor, all of the old heather
has been very badly trampled and broken, so that the ground it occupied is now 40% bare.
To the south of the road, a small triangle, formerly with 30 ha of rich moorland vegetation
with bilberry, cowberry, gorse and some birch scrub, was fenced in 1980, heavily grazed
with horses, then manured, ploughed, drained and reseeded in 1984.

The changes on Gradbach Hill, adjoining Back Forest, have been less dramatic, but no
less severe. Formerly covered in heather, the hill has been subjected to increasingly severe
grazing from sheep and cattle, so that the top of the hill now appears to be a poor Molinia
grassland. In 1971 (17 April), I counted 15 cock Red Grouse (and 6 hens) while walking it,
and considered it to be 75 ha of heather moorland; in 1985, 1 counted no Red Grouse on a
similar walk, and thought the heather cover reduced to 10 ha.

Mention was made of the shift of Black Grouse population in 1976-77 toward the young
conifer plantation which had been planted up, on rough pasture, in 1972. Initially this was
fenced, and sheep excluded. About 1980, however, the fencing became dilapidated, and
was not renewed; by that time, the trees were large enough to survive without protection.
This has, inevitably, caused a deterioration in the ground cover of the plantations; if this
was important as nest cover or roosting cover, it is no longer available.

To the east of the A. 53 road, habitat changes have been much less marked, though by
no means absent. A small birch wood, much favoured by the Black Grouse, was fenced in
1981, and grazed quite heavily by cattle in late 1981 and 1982. The adjoining moor, burnt
(probably accidentally) in 1978, was recovering well, but was heavily grazed by cattle in
1984. Deep drainage ditches were dug in 1983-84, and two rushy fields which the grouse
used have been reseeded. In compensation, however, another formerly rather derelict
wood has been fenced and replanted, and now has a thick tangle of scrub and ground
vegetation. The total area of moorland is also largely intact, though subject in 1984 and
1985 to much more severe, and more pervasive, disturbance from army training.

In the area of the North Staffordshire Moorlands generally, . there has been considerable
drainage and reseeding of pastures. Many fields, formerly left until July for a hay crop, are
now mown in June for silage. We are not sure what effect this may have had on Black
Grouse, but they are an indication of the greater pressures on the habitat. A more detailed
survey of habitat change in this area is required.

Discussion

It is quite clear from the results given of the various surveys that the Black Grouse has not
recovered in numbers in Derbyshire, though it is not quite extinct there; in Cheshire and
the Yorkshire part of the Peak District, it is extinct. In Staffordshire, the population has
declined sharply between 1975 and 1985; it is now 35% of its former size.

There are allegations of birds being shot at at least three sites, and this has undoubtedly
not helped to maintain what was in any case a small population. Nevertheless, a healthy
population should be able to recover from such mortality, and one is bound to suspect that
various habitat changes have had a more severe effect. The severe damage to or loss of
some areas of moorland and scrub to the west of the A. 53 have certainly deprived the
species of food and cover. The bird is a shy one — it has never been easy to watch Black
Grouse feeding, for example — and the increased disturbance from campers, hikers, bird
watchers and trainee soldiers has undoubtedly not helped. It is surely significant that all
these changes have been more severe to the west than to the east of the A. 53, and that is
where the population decline has been most complete. In 1978, we hoped that the habitat
mosaic needed by the species would continue to survive; to the west of the A. 53, it has
been severely disrupted. At present, the habitat just about survives, but is under
increasing agricultural and other pressures. It is surely indicative that none of the ground
west of the A. 53, and little of the important ground (not even the main lek site) east of

8 The Further Decline of Black Grouse in the Peak District 1975-1985

that road, was included in the Leek Moors S.S.S.I. when established in the 1960s, and it
still is not so scheduled. The species certainly needs much more active protection than it
has so far received, including some designated sanctuaries and general protection for its
habitat. It may be already too late to save it, but certainly efforts made so far are quite
inadequate.

Summary

(1) The Black Grouse is extinct in Cheshire, and reduced to fewer than 20 birds in
Derbyshire.

(2) In Staffordshire, formerly the stronghold of the species in the Peak District, it has
declined sharply between 1975 and 1985. In particular, the western half of the
Staffordshire population has all but disappeared.

(3) The area occupied by that western section has suffered severe losses and changes of
habitat. There has also been a marked increase in disturbance, and some direct
persecution.

Acknowledgements

I am very conscious of the fact that very little of the information in this paper comes from
my own field work. I am therefore most grateful to numerous ornithologists and others
who have willingly given me the results of their own field work, discussed habitat changes
and undertaken special counts. In this I include A. Booth, E. Gibson, F. C. Gribble, Mrs
K. Hollick, J. Hornbuckle, G. Howe, C. R. Linfoot, G. Lovenbury, G. Mawson, J. V.
Oxenham, J. Perkins, P. Shooter and M. Waterhouse, together with various assistants and
informants whom I do not know personally.

References

Alfreton Hall W. E. A. Class (1979) The decline of the Black Grouse in Derbyshire (Part
5). Notes on the decline of the Black Grouse of Abney Moor. Derbyshire Bird Rep.

1978: 6.

Cheshire Ornithological Association. Cheshire Bird Reports 1978-1982.

Cramp, S. and Simmons, K. E. L. (1980) The Birds of the Western Palaearctic, Vol. II.
Oxford Univ. Press, Oxford.

Derbyshire Ornithological Society. Annual Reports 1977-1983.

Elphick, D., Guest, J. and Hunter, J. A. (in prep.) Atlas of the Birds of Cheshire.
Frost, R. A. (1978) The Birds of Derbyshire. Moorland Publishing, Hartington.
Hornbuckle, J. and Herringshaw, D. (1985) Birds of the Sheffield Area. (Sheffield Bird
Study Group and Sheffield Libraries, Sheffield).

Kitchen, A. (1978a) Notes on the decline of the black grouse population of the Goyt
Valley. Derbyshire Bird Rep. 1977: 6-7.

Kitchen, A. (1978b) Notes on the decline of the black grouse of the Ladybower area.
Derbyshire Bird Rep. 1977, 7-8.

Lichfield, J. (1977a) Notes on the decline of the black grouse population of Matlock
Forest. Derbyshire Bird Rep. 1976: 15-16.

Lichfield, J. (1977b) Notes on the decline of the black grouse population of the Longshaw
Estate and Big Moor area. Derbyshire Bird Rep. 1976: 16.

Lovenbury, G. A., Waterhouse, M. and Yalden, D. W. (1978) The status of black grouse
in the Peak District. Naturalist 103: 3-14.

Niewold, F. J. J. (1982) Hypotheses on the cause of the decline in the black grouse
populations in the Netherlands, pp. 107-116 in Lovel, T. W. I. (ed.) Proc. 2nd. Int.
Grouse Symposium, Edinburgh. (World Pheasant Association, Suffolk).

Sheffield Bird Study Group. Annual Reports 1977-1983.

West Midland Bird Club Annual Reports 1977-1980.

Yalden, D. W. (1979) Decline of the black grouse in Derbyshire — critical comments.
Derbyshire Bird Rep. 1978: 7-9.

THE INSECT FAUNA OF COMMON ROCK-ROSE
HELIA NTH EM UM CHAMAECISTUS MILL.

AROUND STAMFORD, LINCOLNSHIRE

B. N. K. DAVIS

Natural Environment Research Council, Institute of Terrestrial Ecology,

Monks Wood Experimental Station, Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon, Cambs PE17 2LS

Introduction

Common rock-rose is a widely distributed plant of shallow chalk and limestone soils in
England and Wales. Several species of insects are restricted to Helianthemum or are
closely associated with it (Proctor 1956). During 1977-84, a study was made of the insect
fauna of rock-rose occurring on the oolitic limestone around Stamford, Lincolnshire.
About 65 distinct populations of this plant were mapped here by Davis & Jones (1982),
spanning the four counties of Cambridgeshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and North-
amptonshire. Many of these populations were very small and restricted to road verges,
quarries and the steeper slopes of unimproved grassland, but two particularly large
populations occurred at Barnack Hills and Holes National Nature Reserve and at
Colyweston SSSI. This paper describes the occurrence, phenology and feeding behaviour
of the fauna. The dispersal and distribution of species in relation to the size and isolation
of rock-rose colonies will be reported separately.

Methods

The fauna was recorded at 33 sites altogether between 1977 and 1984, by visual searching,
especially for caterpillars, mines and galls, backed up by suction samples (0.09 m2) for the
more active and less conspicuous species. For quantitative site comparisons in 1978 and
1979, four visits were made, when searching times ranged from 8 to 80 minutes at the
smallest and largest sites, with 4 to 40 suction samples respectively. In 1980, weekly visits
were made between 1 May and 12 September to Barnack (except for a 12 day gap in mid
July) when 40 suction samples were taken followed by 20 minutes searching. Caterpillars
were reared for identification and to determine the dates of adult emergence. Several
hundred seed capsules were collected and either dissected or kept for insects to emerge.

Results

The following account describes 37 species of insects, 11 parasitoids and 2 mites which
were associated with H. chamaecistus . Of these, 3 Homoptera, 1 Heteropteran, 3
Lepidoptera, 5 Coleoptera, 1 Thysanopteran and 1 Dipteran are considered to be largely
or entirely dependent on this host plant. The occurrence of the more common species
between 1 May and 10 September is shown in Figure 1; data from outside this period are
given in the text.

Homoptera

Aphis helianthemi Ferrari

This small green aphid lives on the young shoots and twisted flower stalks. Colonies were
recorded most weeks between 23 May and 17 July at about a dozen sites in the four
counties. They are inconspicuous, but attention was often drawn to them by their
attendant ants. The species is known from Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Derbyshire and
Glamorgan (Stroyan pers. comm.).

Naturalist 111 (1986)

OLETHREUTES

The Insect Fauna of Common Rock-Rose

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The Insect Fauna of Common Rock-Rose

Philaenus spumarius (L.)

‘Cuckoo-spit’ larvae were noted during June but not consistently recorded. Highly
polyphagous.

Arboridea parvula (Boheman)

This was widespread and on most of the larger sites. It was recorded between 18 June and
16 August in small numbers, and again from 4 September, with large numbers in the
second week. The larvae were not identified.

Batracomorphus irroratus Lewis

The bright green larvae and adults (4-5 mm) with fine black dots are easily recognised.
Larvae occurred from about 7 June to 16 August; adults from mid July to early
September, with a peak in early August. At fourteen sites.

Heteroptera

Tinicephalus hortulanus (Meyer-Dtir)

Yellow-green bugs (3.5-4 mm) with rusty tint on forewings, and brown tarsi. Common on
most sites. Larvae were recorded from 29 May to 18 June, adults from about 12 June to 5
August. Said to feed also on Ononis and Origanum (Richards, in Proctor 1956).

Plagiognathus chrysanthemi (Wolff)

Distinguished from the last species by the black spots on the hind femora and tibiae in the
larvae and adults. Equally abundant on rock-rose at Barnack but about a fortnight later.
Polyphagous.

Lepidoptera

Micropterix aruncella Scopoli

Golden, mandibulate moth found in the flowers in small numbers at a dozen sites between
7 June and 6 July with one record on 27 July (see Heath 1959).

Mompha miscella (Denis & Schiff.)

Larvae flesh coloured or pinkish with white mottling. They mine the leaf and may enter a
second leaf if the first is too small. Empty mines can be identified by the scattered, cuboid
frass occurring in small clusters. First generation larvae were found from early April to
early June, the earliest producing adults at the beginning of May. A second generation,
from the end of June to about 16 August produced adults between 20 July and end of
August; a few larvae were also found feeding on seeds within the capsules in the latter half
of July. Mines of a third generation were occasionally found in November. A very
widespread and locally common species.

Teleoides sequax (Haworth)

Larvae pinkish green when full grown, feeding initially in leaves spun together, and later
in the flowers with the petals folded down. Pupae were formed from 6 June to 4 July and
produced adults between the beginning and end of July. Only definitely found at five sites
but this and the following four species were difficult to distinguish because of variations in
colouring between instars and individuals so all identifications were based on adults bred
out.

Cnephasia interjectana (Haworth)

Larvae pale yellow, greyish, greenish or brown with shiny brown or conspicuous black
spots (pinacula) and pale brown head. After over-wintering, the young larvae mine the
leaves initially but later feed on leaves or petals spun together. Such spun leaves were seen
from the first half of May, and larvae collected between 25 May and 5 July produced

12 The Insect Fauna of Common Rock-Rose

adults between 18 June and 27 July. This polyphagous species was much the most common
of the tortricids on Helianthemum , occurring at almost all sites.

Cnephasia longana (Haworth)

Pale greenish brown larvae with pale head and a pair of conspicuous, pale, subdorsal lines
in late instars. Habits like the last species. Larvae collected between 7 June and end of
July produced adults from 11 July to 18 August. At most sites.

Acleris aspersana (Hubner)

Larvae whitish green to greenish brown without spots or lines. Feeding in spun leaves.
Only two adults bred out about 20 July from larvae collected in the last week of May.

Acleris comariana (Lienig & Zeller)

Larvae as above. One specimen found in the spun leaves of cultivated Helianthemum in a
garden at Barnack on 20 June. It pupated about 7 July and produced an adult on 26 July.
The species is said to feed on Potentilla , Geum and Fragaria and may have come off other
plants in the garden.

Olethreutes lacunana (Denis & Schiff.)

Larvae usually dark chocolate brown feeding in spun leaves after hibernation. Those
collected 23 May to 6 June produced adults from the middle of June to the middle of July.
Polyphagous but uncommon on rock-rose.

Agrochola litura (L.) and Pyrrhia umbra (Hufnagel) Noctuidae

One larva of each was found feeding on H. chamaecistus on 20 June and 1 1 September
becoming adult on 9 September and 10 May respectively.

Aricia agestis (Denis & Schiff.)

Brown argus butterflies were recorded at Barnack in small numbers during most years by
the warden but were never found as larvae during this study.

COLEOPTERA

Aphthona herbigrada (Curtis)

Larval root feeder on H. chamaecistus. Earliest records of adults were on 17 July but very
large numbers of teneral adults were collected at the end of July and large numbers
continued until the end of regular sampling in mid September. Only present on about a
third of the sites sampled and most abundant at three sites in or on the edge of quarries
where the vegetation was sparse.

Mantura matthewsi (Curtis)

Larval leaf miner distinguished, even within the leaf, from Mompha miscella by its yellow
colour and black spots. It also can enter a second leaf which therefore does not show the
typical mine (Hering 1957). Empty mines are recognised by the vermiform or amorphous
frass, often concentrated along the middle of the mine. One generation with larvae from
the beginning of May until about 20 June and adults between 8 June and mid August.
Pupal period lasting 2-3 weeks. Crowson (1967) suggests that H. polifolium (=
appeninum) is an unacceptable food plant for this insect from observations at Brean
Down, Somerset. However, its absence from several apparently suitable H. chamaecistus
sites in the Stamford area, and its successful introduction at two sites, shows that this point
needs confirmation.

Altica pusilla Duftschmid

This greenish blue fleabeetle (2. 8-3. 8 mm) is associated with Helianthemum according to
Kevan (1962) but it seems likely that it is more closely associated with Sanguisorba minor

The Insect Fauna of Common Rock-Rose 13

(M. G. Morris pers. comm.) and, on the Continent, with S. officinalis (Mohr 1966). Both
plants occur at Barnack where the insect was collected in suction samples each week
between 25 July and 12 September with a peak in mid August, and single individuals in
mid May and mid June after overwintering. The larva is undescribed.

Bruchidius cisti (F.)

Fabricius noted the association of the adult with the flowers of Helianthemum in 1781 and
this was widely accepted as the foodplant until Southgate (1979) bred the species from the
pods of Lotus corniculatus. The adults are distinguished from B. ater by their elongate,
conical pronotum and the long antennae which extend beyond the base of the pronotum.
It is a rather local species recorded from South Hampshire and Kent to Yorkshire (VC 62)
(Cox pers. comm.). It was commonly seen in rock-rose flowers at about half of the sites in
the Stamford area throughout June, with sporadic records up to the beginning of
September.

Meligethes solidus (Kugelann)

This relatively large and broad flower beetle was easily recognised by the broad front tibia
bearing a few very large teeth. It occurred in the flowers, sometimes between the petals
and sepals, from 15 May to the beginning of July with a peak about mid June and again
from the last week of July into September. Present on almost all the larger sites.

Meligethes aeneus (F.)

This very common and polyphagous species was recognised by the metallic blue-green
colour and narrow tibia with scarcely visible teeth. It was recorded on nearly every site
between early June and the end of July when large numbers of teneral adults appeared.

Several other Meligethes species were found in small numbers.

Phyllobius roberetanus Gredler and P. viridiaeris (Laicharting)

Both seen feeding on the petals and found during June and July at most sites. Both are
highly polyphagous.

Several other beetles were found more or less regularly in the flowers of rock-rose,
presumably feeding on nectar. The most common of these was Isomira murina (L.) at 12
sites from 20 May to 5 July. Others were Oedemera lurida (Marsham), Malachius viridis
(F.), M. bipustulatus (L.) and Miarus campanulae (L.) where its larval host plant
Campanula rotundifolia occurred.

Thysanoptera

Haplothrips helianthemi Oettingen

First British records. This tubuliferan thrips is very similar to H. jasionis Priesner. Adults
were found in the flowers at five sites during June and July, and larvae emerged from
capsules collected during August.

The predatory Aeolothrips tenuicornis Bagnall was also recorded at these sites.

Diptera

Contarinia helianthemi (Hardy)

The terminal bud galls of this species were readily seen and recognised by their swollen
appearance and development of white hairs. They were recorded at ten sites from the
middle of July to the middle of September but these later galls were usually empty. No
adults were successfully bred from them. Niblett (1952) recorded that the larvae left the
gall to pupate; those collected in mid August produced adults in September and the
following June.

The Insect Fauna of Common Rock-Rose
Larvae of Dasineura sp. were found in the Contarinia galls at three sites and one female
was bred out. These were probably inquilines (Harris pers. comm.).

Clinodiplosis sp.

Larvae were found in the seed capsules at several sites. They were probably myco-
phagous. A single Lestodiplosis sp. was also bred from capsules.

Acarina

Two species of oribatid mites, Trichoribates trimaculatus (C.L.K.) and T. incisellus
(Kram.) together with nymphs of one or both species were collected from H. chamaecistus
capsules at two sites.

Parasitoids

Representatives of three families of Hymenoptera were reared from Lepidoptera larvae
and, in one or two cases, from Mantura matthewsi (Table 1).

TABLE 1

Parasitoids from insects feeding on Helianthemum chamaecistus

Species/

FAMILY

Host

collected

Parasitoid

emerged

EULOPHIDAE
Necremnus tidius (Walker)
N. folia (Walker)

Mompha

Mantura

17.4.78

6.6.79

30.4.78

13.9.79

ICHNEUMONIDAE
Diadegma sp.A/sp.B
Diadegma sp.C
Trieces sp.

Compoplex sp.

Cnephasia

Mompha

Cnephasia

28.6.78/20.6.79

10.8.78

18.6.79
25.7.78

13.7.78/8.7.79
ca 25.8.78

20.7.79

9.8.79

BRACONIDAE

Macrocentrus

near thoracicus (Nees)
Orgilus sp.

Chelonus sp.

Apanteles sp.

Cnephasia
? Mompha! Mantura
Mompha
Mompha
Cnephasia

10.7.79

4.5.78

25.7.78
7.8.78/17.7.79

24.5.79

17.7.79

21.5.78
ca 25.8.78

25.8.78/13.8.79

27.6.79

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank Mr P. E. Jones for help in sampling the fauna and in the major task of
trying to rear more than 300 larvae. I am grateful for the identification of material to J.

Small Mammals at Filey 15

Heath (Lepidoptera), Dr H. L. G. Stroyan (aphids), Dr B. J. Southgate ( Bruchidius ),
K. M. Harris (Diptera), Mrs J. Palmer and Dr zur Strassen (thrips), T. Huddleston, Dr Z.
Boucek and Dr I. D. Gould (Hymenoptera).

References

Crowson, R. A. (1967) Observations on Mantura matthewsi Curt. (Col., Chrysomelidae).
Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 103: 170.

Davis, B. N. K. and Jones, P. E. (1982) The distribution and status of rock-rose
Helianthemum chamaecistus Mill, in relation to land use in the Stamford area. Trans.
Leicester Lit. Phil. Soc. 76: 39-50.

Heath, J. (1959) The food plants of adult micropterygids (Lep.). Entomologist’s mon.
Mag. 95: 188.

Hering, E. M. (1957) Bestimmungstabellen der Blattminen von Europa. E ’s-Gravenhage,
Junk.

Kevan, D. K. (1962) The British species of the genus Haltica Geoff. Entomologist’s mon.
Mag. 98: 189-196.

Mohr von K.-H. (1966) In: Freude, H., Harde, K. H. and Lohse, G. A., Die Kafer
Mitteleuropas 9. Goecke & Evers, Krefeld.

Niblett, M. (1952) Retarded emergences in gall midges. Entomologist’s Rec. 64: 327-329.
Proctor, M. C. F. (1956) Biological Flora of the British Isles: Helianthemum Mill. J. Ecol.
44: 675-692.

Southgate, B. J. (1979) Biology of the Bruchidae. Ann. Rev. Ent. 24: 449-473.

SMALL MAMMALS AT FILEY

J. WHITEHEAD and C. SHARP

On 17 August 1985, the Filey Brig Ornithological Group and the Yorkshire Mammal
Group held a 24 hour mammal trap at Filey. The site, called The Dams’ (grid ref. TA
110814), at the edge of Filey estates and bordered by houses as well as by pasture and
wheat fields, is intended to be a nature reserve.

The area surveyed is shown in Fig. 1; traps were laid in pairs at various sites so that the
different types of habitat present were all represented. Although The Dams is a small area
of only 10 acres, it includes streams, boggy ground, dry ground and woodland; all of these
were sampled.

Fifty Longworth traps were prebaited with rolled oats and maize at 3 p.m. on 13
August. On 16 August, more rolled oats and maize and some pupae as shrew bait were
added, and the traps were set. They were examined at 9 a.m., 1p.m., and 6p.m. on 17
August.

38 captures were made and a wide variety of small mammals were present. Perhaps the
range of species was linked with the wide range of habitats available. The distribution of
each species was as follows:

Only one woodmouse ( Apodemus sylvaticus ) was caught, in trap 42. It was not in
breeding condition. Subsequently a woodmouse nest has been found in the hedgerow
there.

Bank voles ( Clethrionomys glareolus ) occurred along the woodland edge (traps 1-16)
and in the hedgerow (traps 41-50). Most bank voles were in breeding condition, and
juveniles weighing 9g and 15 g were caught.

Field voles ( Microtus agrestis ) were trapped in tall grasses by the stream: an unusual
habitat for these animals. Half the adults caught were in breeding condition, and again a
juvenile weighing 9g was caught.

Naturalist 111 (1986)

Small Mammals at Filey

Water shrews ( Neomys fodiens) were trapped in three areas: the hedgerow, the
woodland edge and by the stream (traps 17-30). They were slightly heavier than the
common shrew, with an average weight of 1 1 .2 g compared with 8.2 g. They were very
dark in colour with white undersides, often with a broad dark streak down the middle. We
actually put one into water and watched it swimming — an unforgettable sight. Its coat
looked silver-grey because of trapped air bubbles and it made several graceful dives.

Common shrews ( Sorex araneus) also occurred in the wet ground next to the woodland,
and next to the stream.

No animals were trapped in the drier ground (traps 31-40). This was less sheltered and
nearer to the houses: however, longer trapping would have probably revealed some small
mammal activity there too.

In summary, five small mammal species were present in this small area, of which the
water shrew was the most remarkable. The long grass by the stream was searched for
harvest mouse ( Micromys minutus ) nests, to no avail. The area is of outstanding interest in
terms of its natural history for several reasons: in particular, the amphibian fauna and the
variety of birds present are both remarkable. The water shrew can now be added to this
list as a highly unusual and interesting addition. It is to be hoped that the site will form a
proper nature reserve, and that further building developments will not affect it adversely.

A NEW SPECIES OF POECILOCHIRUS (ACARI: PARASITIDAE)
FROM YORKSHIRE

KEITH H. HYATT

Department of Zoology, British Museum (Natural History), London SW7 5 BD

Species of Poecilochirus G. and R. Canestrini, 1882, have been recorded widely from
Europe and Asia and are found generally in the deutonymphal (third postembryonic)
stage associated with burying beetles of the family Silphidae, especially the genus
Nicrophorus. There are few published records of Poecilochirus from North America,
although Nicrophorus is widely distributed in the region.

The largest number of Poecilochirus recorded from a single beetle is 1 ,486 deutonymphs
of P. carabi G. and R. Canestrini and 107 deutonymphs of P. subterraneus (Muller)
‘sharing’ an exhausted Nicrophorus humator (Gleditsch) with 11 Macrocheles glaber
(Muller) and three Alliphis halleri (G. and R. Canestrini) when it was collected at
Launceston, Cornwall on 26 July 1974 by Mr L. H. J. Williams (Hyatt 1980).
Occasionally, Poecilochirus deutonymphs may be collected in soil, litter and moss
samples, but this is due possibly to their becoming detached from a beetle, either during
moulting, or as a consequence of overcrowding. Milne and Milne (1982) believe the
relationship between the beetles and the mites confers mutual benefits. They describe how
the mites feed largely on the contents of eggs laid by flies on the corpses buried by the
beetles, thus preventing the fly larvae from competing with the beetle larvae for the food
supply. However, Christie (1981), in her detailed study of the mites associated with British
burying beetles, noted that Poecilochirus carabi could breed on corpses in the absence of
Nicrophorus spp. both in the field and in the laboratory, and concluded that the
relationship was purely phoretic.

The Genus Poecilochirus

Hyatt (1980) recorded four species of Poecilochirus from the British Isles — P. carabi G.
and R. Canestrini, 1882 (the type species), almost exclusively from Nicrophorus beetles,
but a small number from other beetles and from small mammals; P. austroasiaticus
Vitzthum, 1930, from maggots used as anglers’ bait and from a glue factory, and a few
from beetles (including Nicrophorus ); P. davydovae Hyatt, 1980, from silphid beetles,
Nicrophorus and Thanatophilus ; and P. subterraneus (Muller, 1860), almost exclusively
from Nicrophorus, but also from another silphid, Oiceoptoma, and from a scarabaeid,
Aphodius. Of these, carabi , austroasiaticus and davydovae are known from both
immatures and adults, whilst subterraneus, which was previously known only from the
deutonymph, is now known also from the male (Christie 1983).

Two further species, P. macgillavryi Oudemans, 1927 (from Holland) and P. trebin-
jensis Willmann, 1940 (from southern Jugoslavia) are known only from the deutonymph
and are possibly synonymous with P. carabi.

Early in 1983 Mr W. A. Ely, Keeper of Natural History at Clifton Park Museum,
Rotherham, sent for identification a small collection of mites and ticks among which were
five specimens (2c? Cf, 3$ 9) °f an undescribed Poecilochirus species from a nest of the
widespread and common social tree-wasp Dolichovespula silvestris (Scopoli) found in a
bird nest-box.

Poecilochirus britannicus sp. nov.

MALE. Idiosoma entirely reticulated, 980 |xm long x 615 fxm wide in one specimen and
1,100 |xm long x 650 p,m wide in the second specimen, and divided dorsally by a median
transverse suture (Fig. 1). Podonotal region bearing 22 pairs of setae in the figured
specimen which has setae zl undeveloped. In the second specimen right zl only is present
(Fig. 2). Most setae pectinate distally on one margin. The longest, r3, 120-125 p,m.

Naturalist 111 (1986)

A New Species of Poecilochirus from Yorkshire

FIGURES 1-8: Poecilochirus britannicus sp. nov., male, 1, dorsum; 2, vertex of dorsum
of second specimen; 3, venter; 4, tectum; 5, chelicera; 6, palp trochanter, femur and genu;
7, venter of gnathosoma; 8, leg II.

A New Species of Poecilochirus from Yorkshire

FIGURES 9-14: Poecilochirus britannicus sp. nov., female, 9, dorsum; 10, venter; 11,
tectum; 12, chelicera; 13, palp trochanter, femur and genu; 14, venter of gnathosoma.

20 A New Species of Poecilochirus from Yorkshire

Opisthonotal region with approximately 35 pairs of setae, only those around the margin
being partly pectinate; remainder very short ( J3 are c. 25 pm and J4 are c. 22 pm) and
slender.

Tritosternum with short, narrow base and paired pilose laciniae (Fig. 3). Ventral region
covered by a reticulated holoventral shield. Sternal setae the longest, most showing traces
of pectination along one margin. Opisthogastric setae fine, slender; postanal seta almost
three times the length of the two paranal setae. Peritreme finely granular, extending
anteriorly to the level of coxa I.

Tectum (Fig. 4) comprising a broad rounded eminence with smooth margins and
granular surface. Chelicera as in figure 5; movable digit c. 95 pm in length and bearing one
large tooth medially; fixed digit with a slightly elongate rounded tip and also bearing a
single large tooth medially. Chaetotaxy of the palp trochanter, femur and genu as in figure
6; anterolateral seta on the femur broad and pectinate on one margin, the two
anterolateral setae on the genu spatulate and without pectinations. Venter of gnathosoma
as in figure 7; corniculi strong and conical, anterior hypostomatic setae the stoutest,
internal posterior setae the slenderest, palpcoxal setae finely pilose; only about six rows of
hypognathal denticles visible. Many of the leg setae stout and finely pilose, generally
along one margin; leg II as in figure 8.

FEMALE. Dorsal shields well sclerotized and entirely reticulated (Fig. 9). Podonotal
shield 550 pm long x 840 pm wide in the figured specimen — the holotype — and 550 and
600 pm long x 850 and 840 pm wide in the other two specimens respectively; with 23 pairs
of stout setae, the majority with the tips at least finely pilose or squarrose. Among the
longest setae are j2 and r3, measuring up to 120 pm, while zl (c. 33 pm) and si (c. 55 pm)
are the shortest. Opisthonotal shield 650 pm long x 910 pm wide in the holotype and
600 pm long x 920 pm wide in one of the other specimens. In the third specimen this
shield is damaged. It bears 26-27 pairs of setae similar in form to those of the podonotal
shield, but all are generally shorter — the longest c. 103 pm.

Tritosternum with narrow base and pilose laciniae. No trace of presternal shields
(Fig. 10). Sternal shield weakly sclerotized anteriorly, entirely reticulated, metasternal
and genital shields well sclerotized and reticulated. Sternal and metasternal setae of even
length (c. 86 pm), genital setae shorter (c.68 pm), all pilose on one margin. Genital shield
pointed anteriorly, convex on lateral margins. Opisthogastric shield reticulated, tapering
strongly immediately posterior to the anus. The nine pairs of opisthogastric setae slender,
most showing signs of pilosity on one margin. The paired paranal setae short (c. 33 pm),
slender, postanal seta (c. 65 pm) stout, similar to the main dorsal setae. Peritreme finely
granular, extending anteriorly to the level of coxa I.

Tectum as in figure 11; similar in outline to that of the male, but margin finely
denticulate anteriorly. Chelicera as in figure 12; fixed digit with five teeth, one broad
tooth and two pairs of small teeth; movable digit 85 pm, with one large tooth and two
small teeth. Chaetotaxy of palp trochanter, femur and genu as in figure 13. As in the male,
anterolateral seta on femur broad, pectinate on one margin; the two anterolateral setae on
genu spatulate, without pectinations. Venter of gnathosoma as in figure 14; relative
lengths of hypostomatic and palpcoxal setae as in the male, but, unlike the male, all setae
pilose to a degree; only about five rows of hypognathal denticles visible. Majority of leg
setae stout and pilose on one margin, none conspicuously long.

MATERIAL. The holotype female (BMNH reg. no. 1985.5.15.1), two paratype
females (1985.5.15.2-3) and two paratype males (1985.5.15.4-5) collected by Mr A. J.
Bickerstaffe from the nest of Dolichovespula silvestris (Scopoli) (Hymenoptera) in a bird
nest-box, Moorgate Road, Rotherham, S. Yorkshire, 1 August 1982.

This species is intermediate in size between P. carabi (the largest species of the genus)
and P. austroasiaticus . In the male of P. britannicus the dorsal chaetotaxy differs
conspicuously from those species in that the setae are generally much shorter. The longest
setae, r3 , measure c. 240 pm in carabi and c. 200 pm in austroasiaticus , whereas in
britannicus r3 measure only c. 125 pm. In carabi setae z5 measure c. 180 pm, in
austroasiaticus c. 160 pm, but in britannicus only c. 40 pm. In the female of P. britannicus

Entomological Reports for 1983-1984. Hemiptera
the dorsal setae are again shorter than in either carabi or austroasiaticus with r3 measuring
c. 120 |xm against c. 190 |xm in the former and c. 200 pm in the latter. Like carabi , the new
species lacks the dark central portion to the sternal shield which is conspicuous in
austroasiaticus , but unlike carabi the opisthogastric shield in britannicus is strongly
tapered.

References

Christie, J. E. (1981) Mites associated with British burying beetles (Nicrophorus,
Silphidae ). Unpublished thesis, University of Leeds.

Christie, J. E. (1983) A description of the male of Poecilochirus subterraneus (Muller)
(Mesostigmata: Parasitidae). Acarologia 24: 343-345.

Hyatt, K. H. (1980) Mites of the subfamily Parasitinae (Mesostigmata: Parasitidae) in the
British Isles. Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (Zool.) 38: 237-378.

Milne, L. J. and Milne, M. (1982) Nature’s Clean-Up Crew. The Burying Beetles. Dodd,
Mead, New York.

ENTOMOLOGICAL REPORTS FOR 1983-1984
HEMIPTERA

S. FOSTER

A national recording scheme for the Heteroptera was launched in 1984 by the Biological
Records Centre. Yorkshire records will continue to be maintained, but as regional
co-ordinator for the national scheme I will forward all records to the scheme organisers. A
distribution and habitat data-base is being constructed and it is hoped that members of the
Entomological Section will pass on records of all species to me, not just those considered
to be of local or special interest.

I wish to express my thanks to Mr J. H. Flint who kindly prepared the Homoptera-
Auchenorhyncha records listed below, and to all those who have submitted records of
Heteroptera. In each list, names of contributors are given the first time each occur and
thereafter initials are used.

t New County Records; * New Vice County Records.

Heteroptera

Aneurus avenius (Dufour, 1833) (+64) High Batts Nature Reserve, under Alnus bark,
30/12/82; J. H. Flint.

Dolycoris baccarum (Linnaeus, 1758) (+63) Hatfield Moor, 29/9/80; B. Eversham.
Heterogaster urticae (Fabricius, 1775) (+63) Rossington Bridge, 16/9/84; P. Skidmore.
Ischnodemus sabuleti (Fallen, 1826) (63) Ogden Reservoir, 9/7/83; J.H.F. A notable
extension to the Northern limit of this insect in Yorkshire.

Scolopostethus puberulus (Horvath, 1887) (+63) Rushy Moor in fen litter, 9/3/83; S.
Foster.

Xylocoris cursitans (Fallen, 1807) (*62) Duncombe Park, under Fagus bark, 18/6/83;
S.F.

Loricula elegantula (Barrensprung, 1853) (*64) East Wood Otley, 13/7/84; R. Crossley.
Alleotomus gothicus (Fallen, 1807) (+63) Sandall Beat, on Pinus sylvestris, 3/9/80; P.S.
Tytthus pygmaeus (Zetterstedt, 1840) (*63) Inkle Moor in fen litter, 31/7/83; S.F.
Chlamydatus pulicarius (Fallen, 1807) (+63) Doncaster Racecourse, 9/6/82; S.F.
Macroloplus rubi (Woodroffe, 1957) (+63) Sandall Beat, on Rubus growing in shaded
woodland 22/8/84; S.F.

Naturalist 111 (1986)

22 Entomological Reports for 1983-1984

Orthotylus nassatus (Fabricius, 1787) (*63) Hatfield Lings, on Tilia, 31/7/83; S.F.

O. diaphanus (Kirschbaum, 1855) (*63) Sprotbrough, on Salix alba , 13/8/83; S.F.
Pseudoloxops coccineus (Meyer-Diir, 1843) (1*63) Cusworth Hall, on Fraxinus in August
and September, 6/9/84; S.F.

Cryptostemma alienum (Herrich-Schaeffer, 1835) (*62) Duncombe Park, 18/6/83; S.F.
Ceratocombus coleoptrata (Zetterstedt, 1819) (*63) Thorne Moor, in pitfall trap,
17/11/82; M. Limbert.

Mesovelia furcata (Mulsant and Rey, 1852) (t63) Cantley Park, on Potamogeton, 4/9/83;
S.F.

Cymatia bansdorfi (Sahlberg C., 1819) (*63) Cantley, 4/9/83; (63) Fishlake, 28/9/84; S.F.
Glaenocorisa propinqua (Fieber, 1860) (*65) Birkdale Tarn, 5/10/84; J.H.F.

Arctocorisa germari (Fieber, 1848) (*65) Birkdale Tarn, 5/10/84; J.H.F.

Subsigara scotti (Fieber, 1868) (*63) Thorne Moor, 31/7/83; Cantley Park, 7/9/83; S.F.
Vermicorixa lateralis (Leach, 1817) (*63) Cantley, 7/9/83; Wentworth, 15/4/84; S.F.

Homoptera - Auchenorhyncha

Aphrophora alpina Melichar, 1900 (*63) Rushy Moor Askern, in profusion in open fen,
14/7-10/8/82; P.S.

A. salicina (Goeze, 1778) (*63) Rushy Moor, a few in open fen, 10/8/82, 20/7/83; P.S.

Oncopsis carpini (J. Sahlberg, 1871) (+63) Red House Plantation, Sandall Beat, on
Carpinus, 10/6/81; P.S.

Macropsis fuscinervis (Boheman, 1845) (+61) Allerthorpe Common, on Populus tremula ,
8/7/79; J.H.F.

Aphrodes histrionicus (Fabricius, 1794) (*62) Bridestones Nature Reserve, 8/8/82; J.H.F.

Paramesus obtusifrons (Stal, 1853) (+61) Cherry Cob Sands, 14/9/83; J.H.F.

Cosmotettix panzeri (Flor, 1861) (+62) Bridestones Nature Reserve, 8/8/82; J.H.F.

Adarrus multinotatus (Boheman, 1847) (*63) Brancliffe limeworks, 5/7/79; W. A. Ely.

Allygus commutatus (Fieber, 1872) (+63) Rushy Moor Wood, 1/7/82; P.S.

Grypotes puncticollis (Herrich-Schaeffer, 1834) (*63) Sandall Beat, on Pinus sylvestris ;
3/9/80; P.S. (*64) High Batts Nature Reserve, North Stainley, 14/8/83; J.H.F.

Macrosteles viridigriseus (Edwards, 1924) (*62) Bridestones Nature Reserve, 8/8/82;
J.H.F.

Empoasca decipiens Paoli, 1930 (*63) Crow Wood, Finningley, 24/4/83; J. T. Burn. (*64)
Fountains Abbey, 15/9/84; J.H.F.

Kybos calyculus (Cerutti, 1939) (+63) Barnby Dun Station Wood, 16/7/78; P.S.

K. virgator (Ribaut, 1933) (*63) Askern, 6/7/76; P.S.

Eupteryx thoulessi Edwards, 1926 (+63) Rushy Moor, on open fen, 14/7/82; P.S.

E. vittata (Linnaeus, 1758) (*63) Sandall Beat, 3/7/80; P.S. (*63) Knottingley Willow
Garth, 1/6/81; J.H.F.

Linnavuoriana decempunctata (Fallen, 1806) (*63) Sandall Beat, 17/4/83; J. T. Burn.

Edwardsiana hippocastani (Edwards, 1888) (*63) Sandall Beat, 5/7/74; P.S. (63)
Doncaster Museum, one at light, 14/7/74; P.S.

E. salicicola (Edwards, 1885) (*63) Whitgift, at light, 6/76; A. Grieve. (63) Bentley
Common, 23/9/76; P.S.

Zyginidia scutellaris (Herrich-Schaeffer, 1838) (*64) Bishop Wood, in damp, shady rides,
29/9/84; J.H.F.

Stenocranus major (Kirschbaum, 1868) (+61) Wheldrake Ings Nature Reserve, commonly
on Phalaris , 15/9/83; J.H.F.

Chloriona dordorsata Edwards, 1898 (*63) Bentley colliery tip, 16/7/80; P.S.

C. unicolor (Herrich-Schaeffer, 1835) (*61) Spurn, canal zone, 10/6/84; J.H.F. (*63)
Bentley colliery tip, 16/7/80; P.S. On Phragmites.

Tyrphodelphax distinctus (Flor, 1861) (*62) Fen Bog, 10/7/83; J.H.F.

JUNCUS AMBIGUUS GUSS. (J. RANARIUS SONG. & PERR.)

IN YORKSHIRE

E. CRACKLES

Cope and Stace (1978) surveyed the history of the taxonomic treatment of the J uncus
bufonius L. aggregate; within it they recognised five species as occurring in western
Europe, three of them in the British Isles. Of these the extremely variable J. bufonius L. is
the common species, occurring in a variety of habitats including brackish marshes, whilst
both J. foliosus Desf. and J. ambiguus Guss. have a restricted distribution in Britain. /.
foliosus occurs only in freshwater habitats, mainly in the south-west, whilst /. ambiguus is
a halophyte occurring on sand and mud flats above high water.

Snogerup (1980) on the other hand recognised six species as occurring in western
Europe, citing four of these for Britain, including/, minutulus Alb. & Jah. in addition to
the species mentioned above; he also rejected the name J. ambiguus in favour of /.
ranarius. Cope and Stace (1983) reviewed the characters used in the delimitation of
segregates of the Juncus bufonius aggregate and the variation within the segregates. They
do not separate /. minutulus taxonomically, preferring to retain it within /. bufonius sensu
stricto ‘at least until this polymorphic taxon has been examined in detail across a wide area
of its range’. Cytological studies by Cope and Stace (1985) reveal that /. foliosus and /.
ambiguus are near diploids, whilst /. bufonius sensu stricto (including /. minutulus) is a
polyploid complex. The same authors (1978) had earlier expressed the view that /.
ambiguus and J. ranarius are conspecific.

Prior to 1978, 1 had recorded finding Toad Rushes on bare ground on the northern part
of Spurn, in an area lost by erosion, and by the canal behind the Humber bank at Skeffling
in an area now overgrown. There seemed a strong possibility that these plants were /.
ambiguus.

On 10 August 1985, 1 paid a visit to Spurn with other botanists and expressed an interest
in examining any/, bufonius agg. plants seen. Martin Nicholls found such plants in three
separate localities: 1. in an open situation on the sandy gravelly coastal belt immediately
north of Kilnsea Warren where Parapholis strigosa also occurs, 2. in a generally grassy
area between Kilnsea Beacon Lane and the sea, and 3. on bare sand near Kilnsea Beacon
Lane Pond in an area where Juncus gerardii is generally frequent.

On 1 September 1985, Eric Chicken, who was aware of the Kilnsea discoveries, found /.
ambiguus at Barmston on sand on the seaward side of a dried out lagoon.

Cope and Stace (1978) recorded /. ambiguus for 34 vice-counties in Britain, and there
have been subsequent records for six more vice-counties published in Watsonia. As far as I
can ascertain, the taxon has not been found in Yorkshire previously, but it could be at
additional sites to those given above on the Yorkshire coast and in brackish marshes by
the R. Humber.

References

Cope, T. A. and Stace, C. A. (1978) The Juncus bufonius L. aggregate in western Europe.
Watsonia 12: 113-128.

Cope, T. A. and Stace, C. A. (1983) Variation in the Juncus bufonius L. aggregate in
western Europe. Watsonia 14: 263-272.

Cope, T. A. and Stace, C. A. (1985) Cytology and hybridization in the Juncus bufonius L.

aggregate in western Europe. Watsonia 15: 309-320.

Snogerup, S. (1980) Juncus L., in Tutin, T. G. et al., eds.. Flora Europaea 5: 102-111.
Cambridge.

Naturalist 111 (1986)

FILM REVIEW

On the Verge of Life, written and produced by Patrick Uden. London: Uden Associates
for Ford Motor Company, 1985. 16mm film (also available as video-tape). Duration: 50
minutes.

To make this film practically the whole of the English motorway system has been
explored. In the north of England, perhaps one of the most interesting features shown is
Tebay Lake, a large pool created by a loop formed by a slipway connecting with the main
carriageway. It has plentiful marginal vegetation, a fauna including aquatic insects and
tadpoles ‘in season’, and it is visited by mallard, moorhen and yellow wagtails. In contrast,
under the so-called ‘spaghetti junction’ on the M6, a length of disused canal appears to be
devoid of life. In fact, sticklebacks live there, and we are shown their whole life cycle.

Cameraman Alastair Macewen of London Scientific Films, one of the specialist
photographers for ‘On the Verge of Life’, shooting a wild poppy under one of the large
junction signposts on the M25.

Most of the film, however, deals with the motorway verge proper. We see an abundance
of wild flowers — such as foxgloves and poppies, primroses and orchids; and many kinds
of animals — voles and mice, hedgehogs and weasels, for instance. Not many people are
allowed on the verges, but one authorized person, Gordon Post of Newcastle University,
gives us a glimpse of his researches on the insects that live there. He has found that oxides
of nitrogen from vehicle exhausts increase the nitrogen content of plants immediately
adjacent to the road and thus increase also the breeding rates of the insects that feed on
them. It becomes clear as the story of the wildlife on their verges unfolds that the
motorways have an important part to play in conservation as linear nature reserves. The
film is entertaining without being facetious, but it is essentially a serious study of an
interesting ecological phenomenon. It may be hired from Guild Sound and Vision, 6
Royce Road, Peterborough, PEI 5YB.

FHB

ENTOMOLOGICAL REPORTS FOR 1973-1983
COLEOPTERA: PART 2, HALIPLIDAE — SCOLYTIDAE

J. H. FLINT

This part follows Part 1 (1984, Naturalist 109:116-120) and continues and completes the
Coleoptera Report, 1973-83 with the exception of the sub-family Aleocharinae which will
appear later.

During the period very considerable activity has been widely spread across the county
and a formidably large number of records have been received from which those below
have been selected. Although some of the species are now recorded in Yorkshire for the
first time following revisions of critical groups and painstaking collection and examination
of very small, inconspicuous beetles, e.g., Acrotrichis , many others are distinctive and
noticeable species that no coleopterist would pass by unremarked and unreported. ft
intriguing to speculate on the possibility of some ‘southern’ species extending theirfange
northwards in the way that the pine ladybird Harmonia quadripunctata did but such
northward extension is counter-balanced by the apparent southward extension of range of
some ‘northern’ species, as Glischrochilus quadripunctatus and Magdalis phlegmatica.
Some records result from careful searching of especially interesting habitats to which
access has been generously granted by local landowners and we are grateful for this
generosity. An outstanding example is the old woodland of Duncombe Park at Helmsley.
Yet others are the result of chance finds of beetles that are rarely seen because their habits
keep them concealed and unusually difficult of discovery: Chrysolina marginata is one of
these.

My thanks go to all the contributors of records and especially to Mr K. G. Payne, who
sorted and entered all the weevils (Rhynchophora) on to the record sheets, and to Mr
M. L. Denton who has accepted the task of entering the records and preparing a report on
the rove beetles of the Aleocharinae. Initials used in the list that follows are those of
E. W. Aubrook, R. G. Booth, J. T. Burns, R. Crossley, M. L. Denton, W. A. Ely, J. H.
Flint, S. Foster, F. A. Hunter, C. Johnson, P. Kendall, R. S. Key, R. J. Marsh, K. G.
Payne, P. Skidmore.

Haliplus heydeni Wehn. (64) Knaresborough Ringing Station, 10/7/82; M.L.D. 21/5/83;

J. H.F.

Guignotus pusillus (F.) (64) Leeds University cooling pool, in abundance 26/4/74 but not
found there in 1982 and 1983; J.H.F. The only recent record.

Coelambus parallelogrammus (Ahr.) (61) Skipwith Common, 25/4/82; J.H.F. The only
inland Yorkshire record of this normally estuarine beetle.

Graptodytes bilineatus (Stm.) (61) Holme upon Spalding Moor, Hasholme Farm old marl
pit, 5/7/82; K.G.P. Only previously known in the North of England at Cherry Cob
Sands.

Agabus congener (Thunb.) (*62) Strensall Common, 18/6/66; K.G.P.

Gyrinus minutus F. (63) Bretton Park, 20/6/82; M.L.D. {teste E.W.A.). The only record
in this century.

Helophorus tuberculatus Gyll. (62) Blue Wath Beck side, above Rosedale, 11/8/79;

K. G.P. The first of several recent reports from the North York Moors; it appears now
to be firmly established.

Laccobius atratus (Rott.) (*61) Kilnsea, 21/8/82; J.H.F. Osmotherley the only other.
Paromalus flavicornis (Hbst.) (62) Duncombe Park, Helmsley, 12/10/80; J.H.F.
Paralister purpurascens (Hbst.) (*63) Blaxton sand pit, 22/6/77; J.T.B. Eggborough,
21/6/83; R.J.M.

$ New British records. t New county records. * New vice-county records.

Naturalist ill (1986)

26 Entomological Reports for 1973-1983

3Ptinella cavelli (Broun) (63) Netherton, 4/12/83; M.L.D. Det. C.J. who reports that this
introduction from New Zealand is now not uncommon in the north.

iAcrotrichis cognata (Matth.) (61) Skipwith Common, 23/8/80; R.S.K. (64) Bishop Wood,
2/9/80; R.J.M. {teste C.J.).

A. henrici (Matth.) (63) Rushy Moor, 19/7/83; R.J.M. {teste C.J.).

A. insularis (Makl.) (*61) Newbald Marsh, 9/8/80; R.S.K. (*62) Langdale Rigg,
20/10/79; Ravenscar, 12/5/80; R.S.K.

t A. silvatica Rossk. (61) Skipwith Common, 23/8/80; R.S.K.

Leptinus testaceus Muell. (64) Knaresborough Ringing Station, in woodmouse nest,
11/7/82; M.L.D.

Leiodes ovalis (Schm.) (*61) Kiplingcotes Nature Reserve, 10/8/80; J.H.F.

+L. picea (Panz.) (62) Langdale End, 15/7/78; R.S.K.

t Anisotoma glabra Kug. (63) Netherton, 7/8/83; M.L.D.

Catops coracinus Kell. (*63) Broadhead Clough, 16/4/83; M.L.D.

Necrodes littoralis (L.) (*65) Leyburn, 22/10/80; M.L.D.

Micropeplus staphylinoides Marsh. (61) Wharram Quarry, 18/8/81; R.S.K.

t Proteinus crenulatus Pand. (62) Raincliffe Wood, 12/10/79; R.S.K. (63) Blackmoorfoot,
21/10/82; M.L.D. det. P. M. Hammond.

P. macropterus (Grav.) (*61) Skipwith Common, 28/7/80; R.S.K.

iPhyllodrepa salicis (Gy 11.) (62) Duncombe Park, 30/9/80; P.S.

Dropephylla grandiloqua (Luze) (*63) Thorne Moor, 3/6/72; H.E.F. det. C.J. (64)
Timble Ings, Otley, 20/8/78; R.C. det C.J. Only previously at Malham Tarn.

Omalium italicum Bern. (*64) Farnley Lake Wood, 23/4/77; R.C. {teste C.J.).

O. rugatum Muls. (64) Breary Marsh, Leeds, 26/11/78; R.C. {teste C.J.). Only previously
at Malham Tarn.

Bledius atricapillus (61) North Ferriby, on the Humber shore at the base of Red Cliffs,
18/6/77; R.C. Only previously in Yorkshire at Bridlington but see B. dissimilis below.

B. defensus Fauv. (64) Banks of the R. Wharfe at Kettlewell, Barden Bridge, Denton
(Ilkley) and Rougemont (Weeton), 1974; R.C.

B. dissimilis Er. (61) North Ferriby, extensive colonies at the base of Red Cliffs on the
Humber shore, 18/6/77; R.C. Only previously in Britain at Bridlington where the habitat,
which was still there in 1966, has by 1983 been completely obliterated by sand dune.

B. femoralis (Gyll.) (62) Strensall Common, 6/5/78; R.C. Only previously at Scar-
borough 1904.

B. gallicus (Grav.) (*63) Thorne Moor, 23/5/75; R.C. Shirley Pool, Askern, 22/6/75;
R.C. Elland gravel pits, 2/10/81; M.L.D.

B. longulus Er. (*64) Denton, 27/7/74; R.C. Boroughbridge, 30/6/77; R.C.

Ochthephilus omalinus (Er.) (*64) R. Wharfe, East Keswick, 22/2/76, 28/10/78; R.C.
{teste C.J.).

Carpelimus impressus (Lac.) (*63) Fishlake, Doncaster, 3/7/76; R.C. {teste P. M.
Hammond).

t Anotylus mutator (Lohse) (63) Ramsden Clough, in cow dung, 13/6/81; R.J.M. Langsett,
27/5/82; M.L.D.

t Oxytelus fulvipes Er. (64) Askham Bog, 2/7/76; H. K. Kenward (1977, Entomologist’s
mon. Mag., 113:80). Breary Marsh, 3/9/78; R.C. {teste C.J.).

Stenus brevipennis Thoms. (*61) Skipwith Common, 14/10/79; R.C. A fen beetle.

S. carbonarius Gyll. (*64) Birkin, 4/1/75; Askham Bog, 6/5/78; R.C.

S. comma LeConte (64) Farnham gravel pits, 1/7/76; R.C. det. C.J. East Keswick, banks
of R. Wharfe, 9/6/79; R.C.

S. fuscicornis Er. (*64) Middleton Wood, Ilkley, 23/2/74; R.C. Barnard Castle in 1920
the only other.

S. lustrator Er. (*62) Ashberry Pastures Nature Reserve, 4/11/78; R.C. Thorne the only
other.

Stenus melanarius Steph. (61) Skipwith Common, 14/10/79; R.C. (*63) Melton Wood,
13/9/83; R.J.M. (*64) Farnham gravel pits, 4/8/79; R.C.

Entomological Reports for 1973-1983

+S. niveus Fauv. (61) Skipwith Common, 14/10/79; R.C.
tS. oscillator Rye (63) Blackmoorfoot, Huddersfield, in leaf litter, 1/12/81; M.L.D. ( teste
E.W.A.).

S. pallipes Grav. (*61) Wheldrake Ings, 14/2/76; R.C. (63) Shirley Pool, Askern, 7/4/83;

R.J.M. Wheatley Wood, 1902, the only other.
tS. solutus Er. (63) Rushy Moor, Askern, 14/7/82; P.S.

5. subaeneus Er. (64) Askham Bog, 19/6/74; R.C. No other records in the past 60 years.
Euastethus laeviusculus Mann. (*64) Askham Bog, 1/9/78. (63) Thorne Moor, 20/7/75;
R.C.

Paederus riparius (L.) (*62) Strensall Common, 23/7/79; P.K. Very old records from
Askham Bog and Hornsea Mere are the only others.

Sunius melanocephalus (F.) (*61) Spurn, 5/9/82; M.L.D. Not reported in this century.
Nudobius lentus (Grav.) (*61) Skipwith Common, 21/10/79; J.H.F.

Philonthus agilis (Grav.) (63). Ogden Clough, 9/7/83; M.L.D. There are only three other
records, all more than 60 years old.

P. corvinus Er. (*61) 5/6/79; Elloughton Hill, 5/6/79; R.S.K.

P. debilis (Grav.) (*63) Blackmoorfoot, 2/12/81; M.L.D. (*64) High Batts Nature
Reserve, North Stainley, 9/5/81; M.L.D.

P. nigriventris Thoms. (*63) Whiteholm, 24/7/83; M.L.D.

t P. parcus Shp. (63) Gildersome, 3/5/65; E.W.A. Birkin, 2/5/82; M.L.D. ( teste P. M.
Hammond).

P. rotundicollis (Men.) (*63) Melton Wood, 27/8/80; R.J.M. (*64) Fairburn, 8/2/81;
M.L.D.

P. rubripennis Steph. (62) Duncombe Park, on wet, riverside shingle, 10/5/80; J.H.F.

t Platydracus latebricola (Grav.) (62) Ellerburn Bank Nature Reserve, 13/5/73; Gundale,
3/5/80; J.H.F.

Quedius fulvicollis (Steph.) (*62) Cockayne, 27/8/79; R.S.K. Ashberry Pastures, 1/1/81;
J.H.F.

fQ. nemoralis Baudi (61) Saltmarshe Delph Nature Reserve, 20/12/80; R.S.K.
tQ. riparius Kell. (63) Hook, river mud strand line, 6/9/80; R.S.K.

Q. semiaeneus Steph. (*63) Blacktoft sands, 8/2/81; M.L.D. Chiefly coastal.
iSepedophilus testaceus (F.) (61) East Dale, 10/2/80; R.S.K.

Tachyporus formosus Matth. (*64) Knaresborough Ringing Station, 11/7/82; M.L.D.
t Rybaxis laminata (Mots.) (64) Dunsforth, 16/4/79; R.C.

R. longicornis (Leach) (*64) Dunsforth, 3/6/79; R.C.

Claviger testaceus Preys. (62) Gundale, on an exposed, steep, stony slope with the little
yellow ant Lasius flavus, 31/5/75; J.H.F. Robin Hoods Bay, 1911, is the only previous
record.

Aegialia sabuleti (Panz.) (64) Otley, banks of R. Wharfe, 1/6/83; R.C. (*65) West
Tanfield, river sandbanks, 14/4/82; J.H.F.

Cyphon hilaris Nyh. (*62) Saltergate Moor, 17/7/78; R.S.K. (*63) Thorne Moor, 6/7/83;
R.J.M. (64) Penyghent, 7/81; J. A. Owen,
f Morychus aeneus (F.) (61) Filey, 14/12/80; M.L.D.

Byrrhus arietinus Steff. (*62) Lockton High Moor, 1983; R.G.B. The only previous record
is from Skipton.

Heterocerus flexuosus Steph. (*63) Rushy Moor, 22/6/75; J.H.F.

H. maritimus G.-M. (*64) Wharfe Mouth, 2/6/74; J.H.F.
fAmpedus nigrinus (Hbst.) (64) Bishop Wood, 3/8/79; R.C.
t Cantharis figurata Mann. (63) Treeton, 1/7/79; W.A.E.

Rhagonycha translucida (Kryn.) (62) Ashberry Pastures, 9/7/78; J.H.F.

Silis ruficollis (F.) (*61) Hornsea Mere, in water traps in reed bed, 22-30/6/77; R.

Hawley, P.S. Only otherwise known from Shirley Pool.

Pyropterus nigroruber Deg. (*64) Bishop Wood, in flight, 14/7/79; J.H.F., others a few
days later by B. J. MacNulty and R.J.M.

Megatoma undata (L.) (*63) Shirley Wood, under bark, 7/4/83; R.J.M.

28 Entomological Reports for 1973-1983

Ctesias serra (F.) (*62) Duncombe Park, several times under bark of beech, 1977-1983;

F. A.H., P.S.

Dorcatoma chrysomelina (Stm.) (*61) Howden Common, 1/7/83; P.K.
t Pseudeurostus hilleri (Reitt.) (63) Netherton, 25/11/83; M.L.D. An established alien.
Aplocnemus nigricornis (F.) (62) Bridestones Nature Reserve, 26/7/81; J.H.F. Only one
previous old, undated record.

t Anthocomus rufus (Hbst.) (63) Potteric Carr, one, 1981; S.F. Sandall Beat Fen, sparingly
among Phragmites, 9/82; P.S. Thorne Moorends, 30/7/83; R.C.

Meligethes subrugosus Gyll. (61) Cottam Well Dale, 1983; R.G.B.

XGlischrochilus quadripunctatus (L.) (62) Ellerburn, 29/9/79; J.H.F. (64) Timble Ings,
28/9/80; R.C.

Rhizophagus picipes (Ol.) (*63) Sandall Beat, one, dead, in Noctule bat pellet, C. A.

Howes det. P.S. (*64) Washburn Valley, 8/6/83; R.C.

Psammoecus bipunctatus (F.) (*61) Hornsea Mere, several in water traps in reed beds,
6/77; R. Hawley det. P.S. Only previously at Askern.

Atomaria fuscicollis Mann. (*62) Duncombe Park, 18/6/83; R.J.M. (64) Bishop Wood,
18/4/83; R.J.M. (*65) Bedale, 18/7/82; M.L.D. det. C.J.
f A. morio Kol. (61) Hornsea Mere, 4/80; R.J.M. det. P.S. Also 2 in barn owl pellets in
hollow tree formerly occupied by jackdaws, 6/80; R. Hawley det. C.J. Very rare;
known in Britain otherwise only from Windsor Forest and Wicken Fen.

A. strandi Johnson (*63) Howell Wood, 9/7/77; P.S. det C.J.

Phalacrus caricis Stm. (63) Rushy Moor, abundant in open fen, 14/7-10/8/82; P.S.
Ackworth, undated but pre-1900, is the only other,
t Stilbus oblongus (Er.) (61) Hornsea Mere, in reed-bed water traps, 7/77 and 23/6/79; R.

Hawley det P.S. (63) Thorne Moor, 20/1/71; P.S.

XExochomus nigromaculatus (Goeze) (63) Rossington Bridge, 9/67; P.S. who writes
'Recorded by Stephens from single specimens from Windsor, taken in 6/1816, and from
Bristol shortly afterwards. It had not been seen again in Britain and had been deleted
from the British list.’ A search for it in the Doncaster district is recommended.
Harmonia quadripunctata (Pont.) (*62) Strensall Common, 31/11/74; J.H.F. This
conspicuous ladybird has now spread widely over much of Yorkshire on pine trees,
t Lithostygnus serripennis Broun (61) Spurn, 2/10/82; M.L.D. (63) Crosland Moor,
Huddersfield, 25/3/82; M.L.D.

Cis setiger Mell. (*64) Wistow, in abundance, 10/8/83; E.W.A. Allerthorpe Common in
1916 is the only other record.

Bitoma crenata (F.) (*62) Duncombe Park, 18/6/83; J.H.F.

XPyrochroa coccinea (L.) (62) Duncombe Park and more sparingly at Ashberry Pastures,
1979-1983; F.A.H. and P.S. Rievaulx, 7/6/81; J.H.F. A strong population of this very
conspicuous cardinal beetle; larvae abundant under bark on old stumps. It is much more
plentiful here than the common P. serradcornis (Scop.).

Phloiotrya vaudoueri Muls. (63) Hatfield Moor, one in dead oak branch near Lindholme
Hall, 20/5/80; P.S. Reported twice previously, in 1895 and 1954.

Conopalpus testaceus (Ol.) (*62) Duncombe Park, 21/5/80; J.H.F. (63) Potteric Carr,
15/8/79; R.J.M. Crowle Waste, 22/7/83; R.J.M.

Mordellistena pumilla (Gyll.) (63) Barnby Dun, 14/7/78; Hatfield Lings, 17/7/80; Thorne
Moor, 26/6/83; P.S.

Ischnomera caerulea (L.) (62) Duncombe Park, Helmsley, in small numbers,
10/6/79-6/83; F.A.H. and P.S. (1981, Entomologist’s mon. Mag., 116: 129-132).

$/. cinerascens (Pand.) (62) Duncombe Park, sparingly with the above.

/. sanguinicollis (F.) (62) Duncombe Park, in profusion with the above,
t Aderus populnea (Panz.) (61) Holme upon Spalding Moor, 4/7/81; M.L.D.

Leptura sexguttata (F.) (62) Ashberry Pastures, 6/6/76; J.H.F.
t Phymatodes alni (L.) (63) Thorne Moor, one on grass below a sallow bush, J.T.B. The
only other record, from Wakefield by E. B. Wrigglesworth in 1882, was believed by

G. B. Walsh to be erroneous.

Entomological Reports for 1973-1983

P. testaceus (L.) (62) Duncombe Park, one dug from freshly dead oak branch, 10/6/80;
P.S. Four earlier records are associated with houses or imported timber; this is the first
to be reported in the natural habitat.

Plateumaris affinis (Kunze) (62) Newtondale, near Saltergate, in numbers on Menianthes
trifoliata , 3/7/83; J.H.F.

Cryptocephalus aureolus Suffr. (*61) Fordon Bank Nature Reserve, 5/6/77; J.H.F.
tC. biguttatus (Scop.) (62) Fen Bog Nature Reserve, sparingly on Erica , 10/7/83; J.H.F.

C. parvulus Muell. (63) King’s Wood, Hawtrey, one larva on birch, adult emerged
2/5/83; P.S. Only previously found in Martin Beck Wood, 1917.

Chrysolina marginata (L.) (65) Askrigg Common, a single example on roadside grass
verge, 30/5/78; J.H.F. The only record of this distinctive and rarely found beetle since
1917.

Hydrothassa hannoveriana (F.) (64) Fountains Fell, on Caltha in a shallow, very wet and
mossy gully, 22/7/73; J.H.F.

t Plagiodera versicolora (Laich.) (63) Denaby Ings Nature Reserve, one on Salix fragilis,
19/6/82; P.S.

Chrysomela aenea L. (62) Gundale, 9/6/79; Gerrick Woods, 4/6/83, commonly on alder;
J.H.F. Staindale, 1983, R.G.B. Buttercrambe Wood appears to be the only other
reported Yorkshire station.

Pyrrhalta viburni (Pk.) (*63) Melton Wood, 19/8/79; R.J.M. Maltby Low Common,
4/9/82; R.J.M.

Phyllobrotica quadrimaculata (L.) (*63) Treeton, on Scutellaria , 1/7/79; W.A.E. and
R.J.M. Rushy Moor, 19/7/83; R.J.M.

\Phyllotreta nodicornis (Marsh.) (61) Kiplingcotes Nature Reserve, 2/7/77; J.H.F. (63)
Potteric Carr Nature Reserve, 11/6/83; M.L.D.

P. ochripes (Curt.) (*61) Wheldrake Ings Nature Reserve, 28/12/82; J.H.F.
tAphthona atrovirens Foerst. (63) Levitt Hagg, 13/5/83; R.J.M.

A. lutescens (Gyll.) (63) Elland gravel pits, 3/10/81; M.L.D. The only other record is
from Askern in 1906.

tLongitarsus pellucidus (Foud.) (63) Blacktoft Sands, 21/8/81; M.L.D. det. M. Cox.

Haltica lythri Aub. (*61) South Cliff Common, 4/7/81; M.L.D. (63) Thorne Moor,
17/7/82; R.J.M. Elland gravel pits, 19/3/83; J.H.F. Shirley Wood, 7/4/83; R.J.M.
t Epitrix pubescens (Koch.) Thorne Moor, 17/7/82, on Solanum\ R.J.M.
t Podagrica fuscicornis (L.) (62) Sandsend, 23/7/81; R.C.

Anthribus resinosus (Scop.) (*62) Strensall Common Nature Reserve, on Daldinia on old
birch, 15/4/73; J.H.F. (63) Thorne Moor, under log, 21/5/83; R.J.M. The only other
Yorkshire record is from Sandall Beat.

Rhynchites cupreus (L.) (*62) Bridestones, on rowan, 17/6/73; J.H.F.

Apion aethiops Hbst. (*63) Fishlake, 3/7/76; K.G.P.

t A. filirostre Kby. (62) Port Mulgrave, on Vicia sylvatica on sea cliffs, 14/6/75; K.G.P.

A. spencei Kby. (*61) Pocklington Canal, Giles Lock, 23/5/70; K.G.P.

A. subulatum Kby. (*63) Fishlake, 3/7/76. (*64) Askham Bog, 22/7/67; K.G.P.

A. viciae (Payk.) (*61) Pocklington Canal, Giles Lock, 23/7/70; K.G.P.

A. vorax Hbst. (*63) Langold Holt (SK/58), 24/4/82; W.A.E.

Otiorrhynchus nodosus (Muell.) (*65) Masham Moor, 29/7/73; J.H.F.
tO. porcatus (Hbst.) (64) Gargrave, 8/5/82; M.L.D. (teste E.W.A.).
t Polydrosus chrysomela (Ol.) (61) Stone Creek, in numbers on Artemisia maritima,
7/6/80; P.S.

fTropiphorus obtusus (Bons.) (64) Carthick Wood, East Keswick, 9/6/79; R.C.
ifSitona cambricus Steph. (64) Bishop Wood, 19/6/81; R.C.

S. lineellus (Bons.) (*64) Grafton, 3/9/77 ; R.C.

Hypera diversipunctata (Schr.) (*63) Inkle Moor, Thorne, 5/8/72; P.S.
t Magdalis phlegmatica (Hbst.) (64) Goldsborough, 15/5/82; M.L.D. (teste E.W.A.).
Timble Ings, 1/6/83; R.C.

Euophryum confine (Broun) (63) Pudsey, in a bank, 10/79; R.C.

30 Entomological Reports for 1973-1983

Pentarthrum huttoni Woll. (*61) Hemingbrough, 20/4/83; P.K.

Dorytomus longimanus (Forst.) (*64) Otley, on Populus alba on the banks of the R.
Wharfe, 24/6/83; R.C.

D. salicinus (Gyll.) (*61) Allerthorpe Common, 8/9/79; J.H.F.

D, salicis Walton (*62) Strensall Common, 15/7/72; K.G.P.

D. tremulae (F.) (*63) Crowther Wood, Sandall Beat, in quantity on dead leaves of
Populus canescens, 5/7/82; P.S. The first record since about 1850 (Knaresborough).
Notaris scirpi (F.) (63) Wilthorpe Marsh, Barnsley, 18/6/67; R.C. Thorne Moor, 7/5/79;
R.C.

Ceutorhynchus asperifoliarum (Gyll.) (*64) Ryther, 6/6/70; K.G.P.
tC. timidus Weise (63) Sprotborough Flash Nature Reserve, 11/9/82; R.J.M.
t Furcipes rectirostris (L.) (62) Newtondale, in numbers on Prunus padus near Levisham
Station, 30/5/82 (1984, Entomologist's Gaz., 35:95). Also again and at Cropton,
30/5/84; J.H.F.

Curculio betulae (Steph.) (*61) North Cliffe, 24/9/77; R.C. (63) Goole Moors, 8/7/76;
R.C.

C. venosus (Grav.) (*64) Brayton Barff, Selby, 26/5/82; P.K.

C. villosus. F. (*64) Middleton Woods, Ilkley, 13/6/72; R.C.

t Tychius meliloti Steph. (61) Filey, sea cliffs, 3/8/67; K.G.P. (64) Towton Bar, 16/7/61;
K.G.P.

t Scolytus multistriatus (Marsh.) (63) Melton Wood, 4/5/83; Eggborough, 3/6/83; under
elm bark, R.J.M.

Dryocoetinus villosus (F.) (*63) Hemingbrough, 20/4/83; P.K.

Dryocoetes autographus (Ratz.) (*61) Rise Wood, 12/6/82; M.L.D. ( teste E.W.A.). (*64)
Timble Ings, 12/10/80; R.C.

Xyleborus dispar (F.) (*62) Strensall Common, on pine, 21/5/78; J.H.F. (63) Thorne
Moor, 20/5/75; R.C.

t Pityogenes quadridens (Hart.) (64) Bishop Wood, 20/11/82; R.C.

The following beetles, many of them of rather local distribution but of more frequent
occurrence than those above, have been recorded for the first time in the vice-counties
listed.

V.C.61; Mycetoporus nigricollis Steph., Tachinus laticollis Grav., Hypera venusta (F.),
Stenocarus umbrinus (Gyll.), Ceutorhynchus depressicollis (Gyll.), Gymnetron
pascuorum (Gyll.), Hylesinus crenatus (F.), Acrantus vittatus (F.).

V.C.62; Bryaxis puncticollis (Denny), Apion tenue Kby., Strophosomus capitatus (Deg.),
Hypera suspiciosus (Hbst.), Dorytomus dejeani Faust., Ceutorhynchus alliariae Bris.,
C. depressicollis (Gyll.).

V.C.63; Ilybius aenescens Thoms., Cercyon quisquilius (L.), Enochrus affinis (Thunb.),
Choleva fagniezi Jean., Megarthrus denticollis (Beck.), Xylodromus depressus (Grav.),
Carpelimus rivularis Mots., Stenus picipes Steph., S. pusillus Steph., Philonthus
cephalotes (Grav.), P. ventralis (Grav.), Gabrius piliger Muls., Staphylinus fuscatus
Grav., Tachinus pallipes (Grav.), Ptinomorphus imperialis (L.), Longitarsus atricillus
(L.), L. pratensis (Panz.), Micrelus ericae (Gyll.), Phytobius comari (Hbst.), Hylastinus
obscurus (Marsh.), Hylastes opacus Er.

V.C.64; Cercyon lugubris (Ol.), Phloeonomus pusillus (Grav.), Anotylus inustus Grav.,
Bibloporus bicolor (Denny), Reichenbachia juncorum (Leach), Strophosomus faber
(Hbst.), Sitona sulcifrons (Thunb.), Apion carduorum Kby., Cneorrhinus plumbeus
(Marsh.), Rhynchaenus alni (L.), R. avellanae (Don.), R. foliorum (Muell.).

V.C.65; Haliplus confinis Steph., Laccophilus minutus (L.), Autalia puncticollis Sharp,
Anthrenus museorum (L.), Meloe violacea Marsh, Acalles ptinoides (Marsh.).

RECORDER’S REPORT ON THE ACULEATE HYMENOPTERA
IN YORKSHIRE

MICHAEL E. ARCHER

The last report on Yorkshire Hymenoptera covered the period 1975-78 ( Naturalist 105:
54-55). Since that time the Hymenoptera have been divided into three groups, each with
their own recorder or recorders: Symphyta, Mr J. H. and Mrs H. E. Flint; Parasitica,
W. A. Ely; Aculeata, Dr M. E. Archer. This is thus my first aculeate report and gives
details of twelve new species recently recognised as occurring in the Watsonian county of
Yorkshire. Initials of collectors are as follows: M. E. Archer (M.E.A.), M. D. Barnes
(M.D.B.), A. Brackenbury (A.B.), H. Britten (H.B.), J. T. Burn (J.T.B.), R. Butter-
field (R.B.), W. A. Ely (W.A.E.), D. Fishardel (D.F.), W. J. Fordham (W.J.F.), J. H.
Flint (J.H.F.), W. D. Hincks (W.D.H.), W. J. Lee (W.J.L.), S. Shaw (S.S.), H. N.
Whiteley (H.N.W.), J. Wood (J.W.).

The first five species are the result of the splitting of the chrysid wasp, Chrysis ignita , s.l.
by Morgan D. (1984, Handbooks for the Identification of British Insects , Vol. 6, Part 5.
Cuckoo-wasps. Hymenoptera, Chrysididae). Most of the following specimens have been
named by D. Morgan or M. Spooner. Many of the specimens were found in the
collections of the museums at Doncaster, Keighley, Leeds, Manchester, Scarborough and
Sheffield, and I would like to thank the curators for permission to borrow and examine
these specimens.

C. ignita s.l. has a thick and heavily sculptured cuticle, richly coloured in brilliant
metallic blue, green and red. The adults are often found feeding at flowers or extra-floral
nectaries or investigating holes in various substrates, the possible nesting sites of their
hosts. However I usually find them stationary on white dead wood in a sheltered sunny
situation. The five Yorkshire species use mason-wasps (Eumenidae) as their hosts but C.
angustula also uses crabronine wasps (Sphecidae). Usually the chrysid larva eats the egg or
young larva of its host before eating the food stores.

C. angustula Schenck, 1856. Distributed throughout England as far north as Yorkshire.
V.C. 62. Strensall (SE 66) (June 1983, M.E.A.); Sand Hutton (SE 65) (June 1984,
M.E.A.); Caydale (SE 58) (July 1985, M.E.A.); Duncombe Park (SE 68) (July 1980,
J.H.F.; Aug. M.E.A.).

V.C. 63. Askern (SE 51) (June 1938, M.D.B.); near Blaxton Common (SE 60) (July 1972,
July 1978, J.T.B.); Crow Wood (SK 69) (June 1981, J.T.B.); Potteric Carr (SE 50)
(June 1982, J.T.B.); Blaxton Common (SE 60) (Aug. 1984, M.E.A.).

C. ignita (Linn., 1758) s.s. Common and distributed throughout England.

V.C. 61. Bubwith (SE 73) (May-July 1916-1936, W.J.F., J.W.); Spurn (TA 41)
(June-July 1948-1952, W.D.H., S.S.); Stone Creek (TA 21) (June 1980, M.E.A.);
Skipwith (SE 63) (June 1984, M.E.A.).

V.C. 62. Scalby (TA 09) (June 1959, W.D.H.); Sand Hutton (SE 65) (July 1977, W.J.L.);

York (SE 65) (June-Sept. 1977-1982, M.E.A.).

V.C. 63. Elland (SE 12) (June 1935, M.D.B.); Bingley Wood (SE 13) (Aug. 1927);
Holmehouse (SE 04) (July 1921); Keighley (SE 04) (June 1948, J.W.); Esholt (SE 13)
(May/June 1978, H.N.W.); Sandall Beat Wood (SE 60) (June 1984, M.E.A.);
Duncombe Park (SE 68) (July 1985, M.E.A.).

V.C. 64. Chapel Allerton (SE 33) (July 1975, J.T.F.).

C. impressa Schenck, 1856. Common and distributed throughout England.

V.C. 61. Thorganby (SE 64) (June 1919, W.J.F.); Bubwith (SE 73) (June 1909-1936,

Naturalist 111 (1986)

32 Recorder’s Report on the Aculeate Hymenoptera in Yorkshire

W.J.F., J.W.); Allerthorpe (SE 74) (June 1936, W.D.H.).

V.C. 62. Fen Bog (SE 89) (July 1937, H.B.); Duncombe Park (SE 68) (June-July,
1983-1985, J.T.B., M.E.A.); Caydale (SE 58) (June 1984, M.E.A.); Cayton Bay (TA
08) (July 1983, M.E.A.).

V.C. 63. Wilsden (SE 03) (June 1908, R.B.); Shipley (SE 13) (June 1918); Dearne (SE 40)
(June 1977); Askern (SE 51) (June 1976-1983, J.T.B.); Blaxton Common (SE 60)
(June-Sept., 1972-84, J.T.B., M.E.A.); Armthorpe (SE 60) (Aug. 1980, J.T.B.);
Highfields (SE 50) (July 1983, J.T.B.); Sandall Beat Wood (SE 60) (June 1983, J.T.B.);
Hatfields Lings (SE 60) (June 1976, J.T.B.); Barnaby Dun (SE 60) (June 1980, J.T.B.);
Crow Wood (SK 69) (June 1978, J.T.B.); Bentley Common (SE 50) (June 1974,
J.T.B.); Shipley Glen (SE 13) (July 1985, M.E.A.).

V.C. 64. Blackmoor (SE 23) (June 1931); Aberford (SE 43) (June-July 1936, J.W.,
W.D.H.); Bentham (SD 66) (June 1935, M.D.B.); Adel (SE 24) (June 1936, D.F.);
Dallowgill (SE 17) (July 1979, J.H.F., M.E.A.).

C. mediata Linsenmaier, 1959. Moderately common in southern England, Yorkshire is on
its northern border.

V.C. 61. Spurn (TA 41) (July 1948, W.D.H.).

C. rutiliventris Abeille de Perrin, 1879. Locally moderately common throughout England.
V.C. 61. Bubwith (SE 73) (June-Aug. 1918-1919, W.J.F.); Allerthorpe (SE 74) (Aug.
1927).

The remaining seven species seem to be genuine additions to the Yorkshire list:

Omalus violaceus (Scopoli, 1763). Until the following records, this species was not
recorded north of Leicestershire.

V.C. 62. Duncombe Park (SE 68) (Aug. 1985, M.E.A.).

V.C. 63. Denaby (SK 49) (Aug. 1985, J.T.B.).

The previous record of this species ( Naturalist 44: 38) is in error. The specimen, found at
Manchester Museum, proved to be O. auratus (Linn., 1758).

Calliadurgus fasciatellus (Spinola, 1808). These records greatly extend the northern
border of this species from Norfolk.

V.C. 62. Strensall (SE 66) (Aug.-Sept. 1981-1982, M.E.A.).

Crossocerus palmipes (Linn., 1767). Not common, but probably occurs throughout
England.

V.C. 63. Crow Wood (SK 69) (July 1977-1982, J.T.B.); Rossington Bridge (SK 69) (July
1984, J.T.B.); Blaxton Common (SE 60) (Aug. 1984, M.E.A.).

Earlier reference to this species is probably a misidentification for C. tarsatus (Shuchard,
1837). Consultation of the longer Fordham card index shows this nomenclature change
had not been made.

Crossocerus leucostoma (Linn., 1758). These records extend the southern boundary of this
species.

V.C. 62. Strensall (SE 66) (May 1982, M.E.A.); Duncombe Park (SE 68) (June 1983,
J.T.B.).

Ectemnius dives (Lepeletier & Brulle, 1835). These records indicate the continual
northward spread of this species.

V.C. 63. Askern (SE 51) (June 1977, J.T.B.); Highfields (SE 50) (July 1983, J.T.B.);
Denaby (SK 49) (July 1984, J.T.B.); Wharncliffe Wood (SK 39) (July-Aug. 1974-82,
A.B.); Parkgate, Rotherham (SK 49) (Aug. 1976, W.A.E.).

Y.N.U. Bryological Section: Annual Report 1984-1985 33

Psenulus concolor (Dahlbom, 1843). These records extend the northern range of this
species.

V.C. 62. York (SE 65) (June 1980, M.E.A.).

V.C. 63. Askern (SE 51) (June 1977, J.T.B.); Newton Quarry, Sprotborough (SE 50)
(June 1980, J.T.B.); Bentley Common (SE 50) (July 1984, J.T.B.); Wharmcliffe Wood
(SE 39) (July 1979, A.B.).

Hylaeus confusus Nylander, 1852. This solitary bee is probably found throughout
England.

V.C. 62. Ashberry (SE 58) (Aug. 1976, J.H.F.); Caydale (SE 58) (June 1984, M.E.A.).
V.C. 63. Near Blaxton Common (SE 60) (July 1977, J.T.B.); Blaxton Common (SE 60)
(June 1984, M.E.A.).

Y.N.U. BRYOLOGICAL SECTION: ANNUAL REPORT 1984-1985

T. L. BLOCKEEL

9 Ashfurlong Close , Dore, Sheffield S17 3NN

Sectional meetings during 1984 and 1985 have been held as follows:

Spring 1984 — Saltersgate Beck (V.C. 62) April 7
Summer 1984 — Bradfield near Sheffield (V.C. 63) September 1
Spring 1985 — Hazlewood and Tadcaster (V.C. 64) April 6
Summer 1985 — Aysgarth (V.C. 65) September 7.

The Saltersgate and Bradfield meetings were highly successful and each revealed
interesting and diverse bryophyte communities in very different habitats. The Hazlewood
and Aysgarth meetings were less productive, the latter chiefly as a result of incessant rain
on the day. Fuller reports are to be found in the Bulletin of the Yorkshire Naturalist’s
Union.

Records

Records have been received from Mr C. Wall, who has been doing some good work in the

Doncaster district, and from Miss J. Robertson. Recorders’ initials: T.L.B.=T. L.

Blockeel, J.R. = J. Robertson, C.W. = C. Wall. An asterisk indicates a new V.C. record

or an amendment to the Census Catalogue.

Reboulia hemisphaerica: (*63) Calcareous rocks, Roche Abbey district, F. A. Lees, 1876
(CMM). Otherwise unknown from V.C. 63.

Marchantia alpestris : (*61) Flower pots. University Botanical Gardens, Hull, R. J. Fisk,
1982 (Bull. Brit, bryol. Soc. 44: 23).

Riccia cavernosa: (*63) 43/29 On exposed mud. More Hall Reservoir, Ewden, T.L.B.,
Sept 1984.

Metzgeria temperata: (64) 34/95 On sycamore and other trees, Winterburn Valley,
T.L.B., Feb 1984.

Lophozia ventricosa var silvicola: (*62) Wet heath north of Osmotherley, J. A. Paton,
1967 (Bull. Brit, bryol. Soc. 44: 24).

Lophozia ventricosa var longiflora: (*64) 44/14 On wet shale, Coldstone Beck, Burley
Moor, T.L.B., 1983.

Jungermannia subelliptica: (*64) 34/65 Thin soil on slatey scar by beck, Croasdale, near
Slaidburn, M. J. Wigginton, 1984 (Bull. Brit, bryol. Soc. 46: 21).

Plagiochila killarniensis: (64) 34/77 On wet slate in ravine, Twistleton Glen, Ingleton,
T.L.B., May 1984.

Naturalist 111 (1986)

34 Y.N.U. Bryological Section: Annual Report 1984-1985

Plagiochila punctata : (65) 34/69 On wet rock in deep part of gill, Hebblethwaite Gill, near
Sedbergh, T.L.B., July 1984.

Scapania curta : (*64) 44/25 On peaty soil on bank in pasture, Lindley Wood Reservoir,
T.L.B., Feb 1985.

Scapania irrigua : (63) 44/60 In birch wood, Barnby Dun, C.W., Oct 1985.

Radula lindenbergiana : (*64) 34/77 On moist slate in ravine, Twistleton Glen, Ingleton,
T.L.B., 1983.

Frullania fragilifolia: (64) 34/76 On pre-carboniferous rock above Helwith Moss, T.L.B.,
Dec 1984.

Fissidens incurvus : (63) 44/61 On soil pocket on old log, Southfield Lane, East Cowick,
C.W., Mar 1984.

Fissidens celticus : (*65) 34/69 Friable soil in sheltered pasture, Hebblethwaite Gill, near
Sedbergh, T.L.B., July 1984.

Dicranella subulata : (*64) 34/65 Moist peaty clay by upland flush, Croasdale, near
Slaidburn, M. J. Wigginton, 1984 (Bull. Brit, bryol. Soc. 46: 22).

Desmatodon cernuus: (63) 43/38 Rocks, Bell Hagg, Rivelin, Amos Carr, 1880 (CMM).
This record pre-dates all other British records of D. cernuus and is of additional interest
in view of the untypical habitat. Almost all British localities for the species are on or
near the Magnesian Limestone.

Hyophila stanfordensis: (*62) 44/55 Soil crevice in exposed tree root. Museum Gardens,
York, C. D. Preston, 1984 (Bull. Brit, bryol. Soc. 46: 24).

Barbula nicholsonii: (*65) 44/08 On limestone on banks of R. Ure, Aysgarth, T.L.B.,
Sept 1985.

Gymnostomum calcareum: (*65) 44/08 On moist tufa on banks of R. Ure, Aysgarth,
T.L.B. , Sept 1985. The previous record for V.C. 65 from Downholme near Richmond is
based on a misidentification of Oxystegus sinuosus (det. H. L. K. Whitehouse).

Tortella inflexa : (*61) 44/85 Chalk lump in chalk grassland. Horse Dale, near Friday-
thorpe, M. J. Wigginton, 1982 (Bull. Brit, bryol. Soc. 44: 27).

Grimmia funalis: (64) 34/77 On rock face, upper part of Twistleton Glen, Ingleton,
T.L.B. , Feb 1985. A form without spirally twisted leaves.

Ephemerum sessile : (*63) 43/29 On exposed mud, Damflask Reservoir, T.L.B., Sept
1984.

Mnium marginatum : (63) 44/51 On stony ground, Brockadale Woods, Wentbridge,
T.L.B., Apr 1984.

Mnium marginatum var dioicum: (*63) 44/13 On sandy soil by R. Aire, Bingley, T.L.B.,
Apr 1984.

Amblyodon dealbatus: (64) 34/97 On limestone on a flushed stream bank, Cowside Beck,
Arncliffe, T.L.B. & C. C. Townsend, June 1984.

Orthotrichum lyellii: (64) 34/78 On sycamore, in small quantity, High Birkwith, Upper
Ribblesdale, T.L.B., June 1984.

Orthotrichum affine: (63) 43/59 On willow trunk in wet ground by R. Don, Cadeby,
T.L.B., Nov 1984. An unusual occurrence of this species as an epiphyte in industrial
Yorkshire.

Orthotrichum rivulare: (*63) 44/04 On a tree base by R. Aire, Low Holden, Keighley,
T.L.B., May 1984; (64) 34/97 Tree roots and stones by R. Wharfe, Buckden, T.L.B.,
Apr 1984.

Orthotrichum stramineum: (62) 44/99 On ash bole, Hackness, J.R., June 1984; (64) 34/95
On elder, Winterburn Valley, T.L.B., Feb 1984.

Orthotrichum pulchellum: (64) 34/95 On elder, Winterburn Valley, T.L.B., Feb 1984.

Ulota crispa var norvegica : (64) 34/95 On hazel and other trees, Winterburn Valley,
T.L.B., Feb 1984.

Ulota phyllantha: (*63) 44/04 On an ash tree, in small quantity, by R. Aire, Low Holden,
Keighley, T.L.B., May 1984. The first record of this epiphytic genus in V.C. 63 during
the present century.

Book Reviews 35

Cryphaea heteromalla : (*64) 34/95 On elder, Winterburn Valley, T.L.B., Feb 1984; 34/67
On elder in very small quantity. Meal Bank, Ingleton, T.L.B., Oct 1984. For a fuller
account of the rediscovery of this species in Yorkshire see Blocked (1984).

Homalia trichomanoides : (63) 34/95 On shaded limestone, Broughton Beck, Broughton,
T.L.B., Dec 1984.

Myrinia pulvinata : (*62) 45/70 Tree boles in flood zone of R. Esk, Danby, J.R., 1983.

Plagiothecium denticulatum var obtusifolium: (64) 34/77 On a turfy overhang on the
limestone cliffs, Ingleborough, T.L.B., Oct 1984.

Hypnum mammillatum: (*63) 34/93 On a grit boulder, Hardcastle Crags, T.L.B., Feb
1984; 34/95 On trees, Broughton Beck, Broughton, T.L.B., Dec 1984.

Rhytidiadelphus loreus : (*63) 34/93 On a rotting log by the Hebden Water, Hardcastle
Crags, T.L.B., Feb 1984. First record for V.C.63 during the present century.

Hylocomium brevirostre : (64) 34/97 Among limestone rocks, Scoska Wood, Littondale,
T.L.B., Oct 1984.

Corrections

The following herbarium specimens have been examined and found to be incorrectly
named.

Preissia quadrata: (63) Calcareous rocks, Roche Abbey district, F. A. Lees, 1876 (CMM).
This is Reboulia hemisphaerica (see above).

Metzgeria leptoneura : (64) Pecca Falls* Ingleton, F. E. Milsom, 1925 (BBSUK). This is M.

conjugata. M. leptoneura is otherwise unknown in Yorkshire.

Riccardia palmata : (63) Waleswood, A. Carr, 1878 (CMM). The specimen is probably R.

chamedrifolia and certainly not R. palmata , which should be deleted for V.C.63.
Sphagnum molle: (63) Wyming Brook, A. Thompson (BBSUK). This is S. subnitens (conf.
M. O. Hill). Other records for this species from the Sheffield district are also likely to
be erroneous.

Ceratodon purpureus ssp conicus : (63) Bell Hagg, Rivelin, A. Carr, 1880 (CMM). This is
Desmatodon cernuus (see above).

Amblystegium humile: (63) Byram Quarry, Knottingley, W. Ingham, 1900 (NMW). This
is A. serpens (det. M. O. Hill). There are two recent records for A. humile in V.C. 63.

Reference

Blocked, T. L. (1984). The moss Cryphaea heteromalla refound in Yorkshire. Bulletin
Yorkshire Naturalists' Union 2: 11.

BOOK REVIEWS

Agriculture and the Environment edited by David Jenkins. Pp. 195, including figures.
Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Cambridge, 1984. £7.

The environmental impact of agricultural practices in Britain has generated consider-
able interest, much controversy and an increasingly impassioned debate over the past
three decades. Discussion has not always been well-informed, and for those requiring a
detailed comprehension of the impacts on wildlife of a selection of past and present
agricultural practices this volume provides an authoritative source.

It contains 30 papers given at a symposium organized by the Institute for Terrestrial
Ecology in February 1984 which considered the impact of changes in agriculture on the
environment. Papers on the future direction of agricultural policy in Britain and the EC
provide a context for subsequent papers covering a range of agricultural practices from
drainage to pesticide usage, as well as the problems of monitoring environmental change
in a number of different settings. The narrowness of many of the papers is made

36 Book Reviews

acceptable by the editor’s imposition of a uniform hand on the contributions. The eight
pages devoted to reporting the discussions held during the symposium also prove their
worth by drawing together themes and topics covered in individual papers. It is surprising
that there is little comment on the future direction of environmental policy and its effect
on agricultural practice and thence on the environment.

Overall, the value of the volume rests on both what it says and what it implies. At its
most obvious, it provides important material for the ecologist and agriculturalist
interested in exploring the interface between their disciplines. It also points to the need for
a deeper understanding of the complex of interactions between the formulation,
implementation and monitoring of agricultural policy, the decisions of the individual
agents of land-use change and the environmental consequences of those decisions. The
crucial, albeit partial, contribution of ecological research to that understanding is
identified clearly. Important as these explicit points are, the volume also implies a
responsibility on ecologists to perceive their research in its wider context, to develop skills
in communicating their findings and in this way to help to break down the inertia caused
by the single disciplinary approach to thinking that has characterized rural policy in the
past.

NJR

The Correspondence of Charles Darwin. Volume 1. 1821-1836 edited by F. Burkhardt and
S. Smith. Pp. xxxii + 702, b/w plates and end-paper genealogical table. Cambridge
University Press. 1985. £30.

This volume represents the first fruits of an ambitious project sponsored by the
American Council of Learned Societies, which commenced more than ten years ago.
Based at Cambridge University Library, the editorial group has been able to trace nearly
14,000 letters, backing them up with a wealth of data on their content and the
correspondents.

This inaugural volume contains 338 letters and covers Darwin’s schooldays, his medical
studentship at Edinburgh and undergraduate years at Cambridge, the five years of the
Beagle voyage, and the short but important period following his return to England. More
than half the letters are to Darwin, ranging from those providing details of the social life of
the English country gentry to those from scientists such as Henslow whose help and advice
proved so invaluable to Darwin in these formative years. This volume is particularly
strong in letters to and from his dear friend and second cousin W. D. Fox. Certain letters
within the Darwin-Wedgwood circle, but not written by or to Charles Darwin, have also
been included for the sake of completeness. In all, the correspondence provides a clear
insight into the beginnings of Darwin’s life-long involvement in science, although no
inkling of his evolutionary views appears at this stage. The letters reveal his youthful
uncertainties and the early signs of his ability to make detailed field observations, which
was to prove so valuable in his later revolutionary theories.

The editors and many collaborators are to be congratulated on the wealth of
information contained within this volume: as well as textual notes, the scholar is provided
with 165 pages of critical material on, for example, chronology, biography and
bibliography, and an excellent index, the whole work being lavishly produced at an
affordable price.

MRDS

Travel Diaries of a Naturalist II by Peter Scott. Edited by Miranda Weston-Smith. Pp. 288,
including numerous illustrations, colour plates and photographs. Collins, 1985. £12.95.

After the success of Travel Diaries of a Naturalist which was published in 1983, many of
us have eagerly awaited the inevitable second volume. We have not been disappointed.
Travel Diaries of a Naturalist II follows the same successful format of its predecessor.
Again Miranda Weston-Smith’s skilful editing of Scott’s original diaries makes a very
readable volume, much more so than the notebook-like format of a number of similar bird
diaries published in recent years. The book is beautifully illustrated, Phillipa Scott’s

Book Reviews 37

scene-setting photographs supplementing Sir Peter’s own pictures, ranging from margin
sketches of birds and fish, beasts and flowers, to full-page colour paintings.

Scott’s wish that ‘his published diaries should retain as much as possible of their original
character’ is, I think, realized, particularly by the reproduction of actual pages from his
diaries. For me these are amongst the highlights of the book and I am pleased that they
have been published just as they were written — complete with crossings-out and question
marks!

Book one concentrated mainly on the southern hemisphere, but this present volume
takes us north, often aboard the nature tour ship ‘Lindblad Explorer’. Here we share the
thrills of whale and seal watching, encounter exotic seabirds like Crested and Parakeet
Auklets and join shore parties in search of arctic wildflowers. Other travels take us on wild
goose chases to Iceland after Pink-feet and to the Danube marshes in Rumania in search
of the elusive Red-breasted Goose. But surely the most exciting journey must be the
following of Slimbridge’s Bewick’s Swans back to their Siberian breeding grounds.

However, the book is not exclusively devoted to northern travels; we do get some
sunshine studying migrating birds and desert gazelles in Israel and Humpback whales and
reef fish in Hawaii.

This really is a book for all tastes. It allows arm-chair travellers to enjoy the wild places
they will never visit, and to the globe-trotting naturalist it will bring back nostalgic
memories of exotic birds and flowers in far-away places. Remarkably the price has been
kept the same as the first volume, so it is very good value.

JKS

Cry of the Kalahari by Mark Owens and Delia Owens. Pp. 342, 47 colour plates. Collins,
1985. £9.95.

This is the story of two young American biologists who set up camp in Deception Valley
in the Kalahari, where they lived for seven years. Here in their isolated location, they
studied the larger carnivores, particularly jackals, brown hyenas and lions. Both authors
have contributed to the book by writing alternate chapters and in so doing have
highlighted different aspects of their fascinating life. They were supported by modest
funds and had to adopt a simple way of life. Possibly because of this they identified
themselves closely with the Kalahari and wrote perceptively and sensitively on it. Of
particular interest was the almost unbelievable relationship they developed with Bones, a
lion whose life they saved. This is a well written intriguing account supported by some high
quality photographs. The book is thoroughly recommended.

AVD

A Dictionary of the Flowering Plants and Ferns by J. C. Willis, revised by H. K. Airy
Shaw. Pp. xxii + 1245 + Ixvi. Cambridge University Press. 1985. Student edition/8th
edition. £20.

A very reasonably priced reissue in hardback of the edition first published in 1973 — an
indispensable aid for the serious botanist.

Fledger by Nicholas Barret. Pp. 206, Michael Joseph. 1985. £8.95.

An unashamedly anthropomorphic novel about a puffin colony attacked by rats.
Although the publishers claim that the story is an ‘authentic reconstruction of life in a
puffin flock', the author takes considerable biological licence. Nevertheless the result is
still quite a reasonable book of its type.

I doubt if the hero, Goldie, will be remembered as long as other famous characters of
wildlife fiction such as Tarka or Brighteyes, but if you enjoyed Watership Down you will
probably like Fledger. However, the book is rather expensive and if you really want to
know more about puffins you would be better off spending another £4 on M. P. Harris's
recently published monograph.

JKS

33 Book Reviews

Hawk-Moths of the British Isles by Michael Easterbrook, 35 plates mainly in colour; The
Puffin by Jim Flegg, 14 colour plates and 6 black-and-white, mainly drawings; Parasitic
Worms by Jim Flegg, 9 colour plates, 14 black-and-white plates and drawings; The
Starling by C. J. Feare, 24 colour plates, 27 black-and-white, mainly photographs. Shire
Natural History, 24pp. each. Shire Publications Ltd., 1985. £1.25 each.

The first four numbers of this new series give a concise and up-to-date account of either
a single or a group of species. Jim Flegg on the puffin also deals with recent changes in
population numbers and gives information on where to watch puffins. C. J. Feare looks at
the social life of starlings and their relationships with man; some of the colour plates in this
booklet are a little dark. Michael Easterbrook deals with the 17 species of hawk-moth and
all the adults and most of the caterpillars are illustrated in colour. The parasitic worms
dealt with by Jim Flegg turn out to be the nematode or round worms; details are given on
how to find and study these worms besides much information on the species parasitic on
animals and plants. Each booklet contains a useful list of further reading and is a bargain
at £1.25.

MEA

Woodlice in Britain and Ireland: Distribution and Habitat by P. T. Harding and S. L.
Sutton. Pp. 151, with 14 figs, 4 tables and 36 maps. Institute of Terrestrial Ecology,
NERC. 1985. £5.50 including postage & packing from: Institute of Terrestrial Ecology,
Monks Wood Experimental Station, Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon PE17 2LS.

This book is the definitive write-up of the woodlouse recording scheme and is a ‘must’
not only for woodlouse enthusiasts but also for natural historians interested in mapping
and habitat schemes. Besides the usual distribution maps in the species-by-species section,
quantitative data are given of the habitats in which each species is found. Sixteen pages are
also devoted to a habitat-by-habitat survey so that the woodlice assemblages characteristic
of each are clearly defined. Data are compiled from some 23,499 records sent in by 436
recorders over a period of 16 years so that an unusually detailed analysis can be presented
— a very fine achievement. Keys to species are not given, but a lengthy set of references,
covering much more than published keys give access to them. However, detailed
descriptions with figures are given of four species new to the British Isles, including one
new to science. The history of the scheme is presented, including details of the different
recorder cards with the elaborate instructions on how they should be filled up. This book
is a milestone in the development of mapping and habitat surveys of the British fauna.

MEA

Our Green and Living World. The Wisdom to Save It by E. S. Ayensu, V. H. Heywood,
G. L. Lucas and R. A. Defilipps. Pp. 256, with full colour illustrations. Cambridge
University Press. 1984. £12.95.

Green Inheritance by Anthony Huxley. Pp. 193, with full colour illustrations, line
drawings, maps, etc. Collins/Harvill Press. 1985. £9.95.

Two lavishly produced books covering very similar ground, each portraying the wealth
and beauty of the world’s flora. Both feature the economic importance of plants, and
highlight the fragility of ecosystems, particularly in terms of the exploitation of natural
resources. Attention is rightly paid to the demise of tropical rain forests, which are
disappearing at such an alarming rate, and to the still largely unexplored potential of such
habitats for man’s future needs for food, medicine, timber, etc. Tropical rain forests and
other natural habitats provide a vital genetic bank whose resources should not be
squandered. The attractive and informative illustrations are complemented in both
volumes by authoritative and powerful texts. Either book would be an attractive
acquisition, but they are so similar in content and format that purchase must be a matter of
individual choice.

MRDS

Book Reviews 39

The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Life Sciences edited by Adrian Friday and David S.
Ingram. Pp. 432, with numerous colour illustrations, b/w plates, maps, tables, etc.
Cambridge University Press. 1985. £25.00.

Oxford Illustrated Encyclopedia. Volume 2, The Natural World, edited by Malcolm Coe.
Pp. vi + 376, with colour and b/w photographs, line drawings, etc. Oxford University
Press. 1985. £15.95.

Although superficially covering the same ground, these encyclopedias are actually
completely different in approach. Oxford’s is, in essence, an illustrated dictionary,
traditional in approach, with over 2,500 entries, some cross-referencing but no index. In
contrast, Cambridge prefers a subject approach in the form of 15 chapters, equally divided
into three parts: process and organization, environments, evolution and the fossil record;
in addition, a 20-page classification of living organisms and detailed species and subject
indices are provided. Both works are well printed and illustrated, and have been compiled
by distinguished biologists. Despite their similar titles, they are aimed at different
audiences, the Oxford encyclopedia providing instantaneous answers for the less informed
enquirer and the Cambridge volume being more academic in its approach, a textbook
rather than a dictionary. Both works represent excellent value for money.

MRDS

God’s Acre. The Flowers and Animals of the Parish Churchyard by Francesca Greenoak,
illustrated by Clare Roberts. Pp. 192, with numerous colour illustrations. Orbis. 1985.
£12.95.

Churchyards usually represent oases for wildlife in frequently hostile urban and
agricultural settings. It is important that their scientific value is recognized. About 20,000
churchyards exist in England and Wales, but the future of an increasing number of them is
uncertain, and some maintenance practices have proved deleterious to particular plants
and animals. The present work is a timely reminder of the need to protect them. The
author has provided a readable and informative text which covers both the history and
natural history of these sanctuaries, and the artist has complemented it with a series of
delicate, attractive wildlife studies.

MRDS

Manual of Cultivated Broad-leaved Trees and Shrubs. Volume I, A-D. By Gerd
Kriissmann, translated by Michael E. Epp. Pp. iv + 448 (including 329 line drawings), +
176 b/w plates. Batsford. 1985. £40.00.

The first of three volumes of a monumental encyclopedic work which will prove of
paramount importance to landscape gardeners, nurserymen, foresters, and botanists in
general. When complete, it will cover 5000+ species and 6000+ ciiltivars in almost 800
genera.

The valuable introduction includes a well thought out guide to terminology and
information on hardiness zones. The main body of the text gives comprehensive
descriptions of taxa, ably supported by line drawings and photographic plates (those of
leaf shapes being particularly successful, some habitat studies less so), with, in some cases,
classifications, and keys to species and cultivars; additionally, maps are provided to show
the distribution of certain genera and species. Information is also given on plant uses,
cultural requirements, and place in landscape and garden design, and many entries include
references to other published sources.

The translation from the German original (published 1976) is generally excellent, but it
occasionally betrays its origin (eg. retention of Arten, fig. 204); there is also the occasional
misprint, the most serious noted being ‘Casuarnia’ as a major head (p. 293).

This is an indispensable reference work, splendidly produced at a reasonable price.

YAH

YORKSHIRE MAMMALS

edited by
M. J. Delany

A comprehensive review of the natural history, distribution
and recognition of mammals within the county of Yorkshire
(at its pre-1974 boundary) written by a group of expert
naturalists. A definitive and authoritative work.

256 pp, 70 line drawings and maps, £3.95 plus 55p postage
and packing. Available from School of Environmental
Science, The University, Bradford, BD7 1DP.

The Entomologist’s Record

and Journal of Variation

A bimonthly illustrated magazine devoted mainly to the
Lepidoptera of the British Isles.

Annual Subscription — £15.00

Write for specimen copy to P. A. Sokoloff, 4 Steep Close,
Orpington, Kent enclosing £1.50. This amount will be taken
into account in the first year’s subscription.

The Irish Naturalists’ Journal

A quarterly journal of Irish natural history
Edited by Elizabeth Platts
Annual Subscription £10.00, IR£12.00 ($20.00)

Further information from Hon. Sec. Diana Blamire
Department of Zoology, Queen’s University of Belfast
Belfast BT7 INN, Northern Ireland

The Birds of Yorkshire

JOHN R.MATHER

rhe Birds of Yorkshire is a complete historical
review of The avifauna of the old County
of Yorkshire before the political boundary
changes. The book does not presuppose the
possession of either of its predecessors. Nelson’s
Birds of Yorkshire or Chislett’ s Yorkshire Birds.

The author, John R. Mather, has been interested
in birds all his life and is currendy the President of
many Naturalists’ Societies, both in Yorkshire and
nationally. This lifelong dedication is evident in
this book which deals not only with the many
species of birds in Yorkshire but also with their
relation to the environment There is a discussion
of the geological and topographical features of
Yorkshire and the ever-changing use of land with
a bearing on the ways in which these affect the
development of the bird life within the county.
Also included is a classified list giving detailed
accounts of over 400 species and information
about the sites of permanent observation. The
book is lavishly illustrated throughout with line
drawings and photographs, the latter showing
habitats and important birds seen in recent years.
Prou £40.00 0-7099-3510-2 612 pages May 86
Line drawings and black and white photographs
Croom Helm Ltd., Provident House,

Burrell Row, Beckenham, Kent BR3 1AT.

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— June 1986

The

Number 977
Volume 111

I I1M ^ A Volume 111

i sf atur alist

A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY FOR THE NORTH OF ENGLAND

Forty Years On: Changes in Natural History Studies since 1945

— Roy Crossley

Notes on the Kestrel Population of Snowdonia, North Wales

— P. J. Dare

Amblygamasus dentipes (C. L. Koch) (Mesostigmata: Parasit-
idae), A Terrestrial Mite New to the British Isles — Keith H.
Hyatt

The Introduction, Spread and Current Distribution of Rhodo-
dendron ponticum in the Peak District and Sheffield Area

— I. D. Rotherham

Published by the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union

Editor M. R. D. Seaward, MSc. PhD. DSc, FLS, The University, Bradford

The Lepidoptera of Yorkshire

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FORTY YEARS ON:

CHANGES IN NATURAL HISTORY STUDIES SINCE 1945

ROY CROSSLEY

Presidential Address to the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union, Halifax, 7 December 1985

In common with many of my predecessors I consider myself fortunate, and also greatly
humbled, to have been offered the Presidential chair of this unique body, the Yorkshire
Naturalists’ Union, and to be ranked alongside some of the greatest names in Yorkshire
natural history. It is a particularly happy chance that this Address is being delivered in
Halifax, the town where I was born and brought up, and in whose Scientific Society, our
host today, I was encouraged and taught as a youth. It is with pleasure that I am able to
acknowledge publicly the debt I owe to the Halifax Scientific Society, and to say that the
honour bestowed upon me by the YNU is one that I gladly share with this Society which
has meant so much to me over the years.

1985 has been a significant year in our national life, marking as it has done the fortieth
anniversary of the end of the Second War. It was early in 1946 that, as a schoolboy
ornithologist, I compiled my first diary observations on birds and since then much of my
time has been spent in the pursuit of natural history. It seems appropriate, therefore, to
review some of the changes that have taken place in natural history studies during the
intervening years, from which it may be possible to draw some conclusions to guide us into
the future.

Of all the developments of the past forty years, perhaps none has had a more profound
influence on our lives than the communications and information explosion. The world has,
in truth, become a large village and events in the most remote places of the earth can
become instant news to millions. The boundaries of knowledge are being pushed back
-continually, far beyond what previous generations could have dreamed of, and I am sure
that more is still to come. I shall speak later of these things, but for the moment I would
like to dwell on some of the events that have taken place in natural history studies in
Britain since 1945 and which seem to me to have been of particular significance in
influencing our activities.

The first of these was the publication in 1952 of the Flora of the British Isles by
Clapham, Tutin and Warburg. For about a century, successive generations of botanists
had used Bentham and Hooker’s Handbook of the British Flora to identify plants and,
although this well loved work had run to many editions, it had become out of date. The
new Flora was enthusiastically received; it was followed by other, more ‘popular’
publications, some with superb colour illustrations. Even so, no serious botanist can
afford to ignore ‘Clapham, Tutin and Warburg’, as it is affectionately known, and it will
surely stand as the definitive work until the end of the century and beyond.

The publication of the new Flora paved the way for the launching of the distribution
maps scheme in 1954 by the Botanical Society of the British Isles, which culminated in the
publication of the Atlas of the British Flora in 1962. The mapping scheme introduced three
concepts: the first harnessed the enthusiasm of amateurs, directing their energies towards
a carefully planned cooperative effort in field recording, as had been done before the war
in the heron and great crested grebe surveys. The other two new concepts were, first, to
make use of the latest data processing methods and information retrieval techniques of
modern computers in order to deal with the thousands of records received, and second, to
produce maps based upon the presence of species in 10 km x 10 km squares of the
National Grid. This was quite revolutionary for, prior to 1954, it had been customary for
naturalists to use the vice-county system as the basis for recording purposes. This system,
devised by H. C. Watson in 1852, had become unacceptable, because the unit areas were
much too large and variable in size to give a valid indication of species distribution on a
national scale.

Naturalist 111 (1986)

42 Forty Years On: Changes in Natural History Studies since 1945

For the first five years the plant mapping scheme was financed jointly by the BSBI and
the Nature Conservancy, but thereafter the latter took over the financial responsibility. In
1964 the Biological Records Centre was established at Monks Wood Experimental
Station, which had been opened in 1963. As a result of the techniques so successfully
pioneered by the plant mapping scheme, the BRC embarked upon a programme of
gradual expansion to include other groups of organisms, so that there are now ( 1985) more
than 60 such schemes in operation. In every case where a mapping scheme has been
launched, it has acted as a catalyst for specialist naturalists and has additionally produced
an upsurge of new interest in those particular organisms. We are currently experiencing
this on a national scale in entomology, particularly in respect of flies and beetles, and this
is reflected in the recent growth in membership of the Entomological Section of the YNU.

For ornithologists, 1954 was a significant year, with the publication of Peterson,
Mountfort and Hollom’s A Field Guide to the Birds of Britain and Europe. Before its
appearance, such pocket identification books as were available were very incomplete or
mediocre; the Field Guide introduced new techniques of bird identification, developed
earlier by Roger Peterson in America. It was an immediate success, setting a standard
emulated many times since, and high quality field guides to a wide range of organisms are
now available.

At about the same time as the Field Guide was published, ornithologists in Britain
acquired a novel piece of equipment for trapping birds in connection with ringing
operations. This was the nylon mist net, introduced from Japan. Prior to the mist net era,
bird catching had been carried out by long-established methods such as Heligoland traps,
clap nets and potter traps, mostly bulky to transport, and, in the case of Heligoland traps,
permanent fixtures. The mist nets, being light and capable of being rolled up into small
packages, made it possible for ringers to take their traps to where the birds were, instead
of simply trying to entice them into a trapping area and hoping for the best. Their
introduction led to a considerable increase in the number of birds ringed, together with
the capture of adults of species such as swallows and martins which had hitherto been
ringed principally as nestlings.

A major event occurred in 1958 with the formation of the Council for Nature, devised as
a national umbrella body for all natural history interests in Britain. National Nature Week
in 1963, the brainchild of the Council for Nature, had a very gratifying response; special
postage stamps were issued, there was wide television coverage, and an estimated 400,000
people visited more than 200 events. The County Naturalists’ Trust movement gathered
momentum during the same period, and by 1964 the network was complete for England,
with the exception of Rutland.

In 1966 there was a second National Nature Week, when it was anticipated that in
excess of one million people would visit more than 400 events, but by then conservation
was beginning to have facets not envisaged by earlier naturalists, seemingly covering
anything from the retention of rural bus services to the preservation of ancient buildings.
There were no more National Nature Weeks after the extravaganza of 1966; the Council
for Nature is now defunct and in its place we have the all-embracing Council for
Environmental Conservation. The County Naturalists’ Trusts of the 1960s and 1970s have,
in some cases, become Trusts for Nature Conservation or Wildlife Trusts, and some
people think that by so doing the predominating influence of the naturalists will diminish
in these organizations.

In 1966, the Teesdale battle to prevent the construction of a reservoir on a site of major
European botanical importance was lost, and it seems to me that it marked a turning point
in attitudes amongst both conservationists and developers. Both sides came out of it rather
battered and bruised, and since then there appears to have been a greater readiness to
compromise than there was in those days. There has not been a similar campaign since,
and it could be said to have marked the end of just over a decade of revoution in British
natural history. There has been no period to equal it since, and in the future the social
historians of natural history will, I suspect, regard the 1950s and 1960s as being the most
innovative years of this century.

Forty Years On: Changes in Natural History Studies since 1945

What an expansion of interest in natural history we have witnessed over the past twenty
years or so! I believe that there have been two main reasons for this. The first has been the
stimulus resulting from the exposure given to the subject by radio and television. Radio
coverage of natural history topics has existed to a certain extent for many years, and older
ones amongst us will perhaps recall with affection the lovely voice of Bramwell Evans in
the Romany broadcasts on Children's Hour before and during the early years of the
Second World War. For many years after the war there was the fine radio magazine
programme The Naturalist’, introduced by Ludwig Koch's evocative recording of the
curlew. Output by the Natural History Unit of the BBC doubled between 1970 and 1980,
and during 1985 there were more than 1 10 broadcasting hours put out by the Unit.
However, it is television which I believe has had the major impact in bringing the world of
nature to the attention of the general public, and it is this medium which has been a prime
factor in the communications and information explosion I referred to earlier. In my
opinion, it is no coincidence that the increasing availability of colour television has been
paralleled by the great increase in public interest in natural history in recent years. During
the period 1974 to 1984, colour television licences issued almost trebled to over 15 million
and major natural history productions now regularly attract viewing audiences in excess of
10 million. Even if only a small percentage of those viewers are stimulated to become
actively interested in the subject, the potential for new recruits to our natural history
societies must be considerable.

The second main reason for the increasing interest in natural history has been the
growth in the amount of leisure time enjoyed by most people, coupled with a considerable
increase in personal spending power, especially since the 1960s. The figures for private car
ownership reflect this growth in personal affluence. In 1945 the number of private car
registrations was 1.5 million; in 1960 the number was 5.65 million, and this doubled during
the next ten years to 11.8 million. The estimated figure for 1985 is 16.75 million and
forecasts for private registrations to the end of the century predict in excess of 18 million
by the year 2000. As for leisure, trends since the war have been towards a reduction in
hours worked generally, coupled with an increase in paid holiday entitlement. For
example, the average weekly hours worked in manufacturing industry in 1945 was nearly
47; this had fallen to 45.3 hours in 1960 and to just below 41 in 1984. Forecasts indicate
that the figure will be 38 hours per week by the end of this century. Basic holidays with pay
for manual workers also illustrate the trend towards increasing leisure. In 1951, for
example, 94 per cent of the manual workforce had two weeks, or less, holiday with pay; by
1970, 97 per cent had two or three weeks, and in 1980, only 2 per cent had three weeks,
the remainder having more than this, with 55 per cent enjoying between four and five
weeks paid holiday. The combination of increasing spending power and more leisure is
reflected in the number of holidays taken abroad, which more than doubled between 1971
and 1983, from 7 million to 15 million.

In addition to the greater amount of leisure enjoyed by the working population, there is
also the large number of unemployed people with time on their hands. In 1945, 1.4 per
cent of the working population was unemployed and the figure was roughly similar in
1960; between 1980 and 1985 the percentage had risen from 5.8 to 11.6 per cent. Forecasts
indicate very little change in the situation up to the end of the century, with the figure
hovering around 11 per cent (or approximately 3 million people) throughout the 1990s.
These figures probably exclude the increasing number of people taking early retirement,
although this may only be a temporary trend. More people than ever before have more
leisure time, while those who are in employment now have more money with which to
enjoy it. The leisure industry is a vigorous area of the economy at a time when many other
industries are in decline.

The chief beneficiary of all this, as far as natural history is concerned, has undoubtedly
been ornithology, and in this connection it is illuminating to consider the remarkable
growth of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. In 1939, membership was 4,852
and in 1946 the figure was 6,000; there was a dramatic rise to a membership approaching
66,000 in 1970, followed by a most spectacular increase over the next fifteen years, to the

44 Forty Years On: Changes in Natural History Studies since 1945

extent that membership is now in excess of 400,000. These figures do not include relatives
of members who supplement the Society’s subscription, so total support for the Society is
much higher. The junior section of the RSPB has also grown tremendously, rising from
2,000 in 1965 to over 85,000 today. Skilful and highly professional advertising by the
Society backed by an efficient administration have no doubt been important contributory
factors in its growth, but quite clearly there has been a public ready, willing, and able to
respond. Of course, not every member of the RSPB is a bird watcher and many would not
claim to be serious ornithologists, while as far as the junior section is concerned, there is
inevitably a high turnover as youngsters take up one hobby after another. Nevertheless,
the growth has been impressive and it reflects a vast public interest in birds today.

The serious study of birds has not, in fact, attracted the same measure of prolific
growth. The British Trust for Ornithology, for example, had a membership in 1945 of
1,215 and this has risen steadily over the years to 7,688 in September 1985. This rate of
growth is greater than that of the number of contributors acknowledged in the annual
YNU Ornithological Reports. In 1948, 163 people contributed; fifteen years later the 1963
Report acknowledged 267, and in 1983 the number was 326. The later figures may not
reveal the whole story as they do not always take into account those individuals reporting
through their local bird watching clubs, of which there has been a considerable growth in
Yorkshire during the past twenty-five years.

In a significant but less spectacular manner, other groups of animals and plants are
attracting growing numbers of enthusiastic students. The national diptera recording
schemes now circulate information to over 200 entomologists, of whom a significant
proportion are active amateur field workers. Other invertebrate groups are also enjoying
increasing popularity; dragonflies are in vogue at the present time, possibly because of
their photogenic appeal. Mammals too are increasingly popular subjects for study,
especially bats. Recently, bat researchers have acquired a piece of high-tech equipment by
means of which the ultra-sonic calls of the animals can be interpreted with sufficient
accuracy for many individual species to be identified. Although these, and other, growth
areas cannot compare with the increased interest in bird watching they are, nevertheless,
indicative of a general trend.

Against this background of general growth, it is pertinent to consider the present
position of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union and its 40 or so constituent Societies.
Individual membership of the YNU has had peaks and troughs over the years; in 1955 the
YNU had 387 members and five years later this had risen to 455. A high point was reached
in 1970 when there were 578 members, but this number had dropped in 1980 to 488 and at
present the figure is 495. It can be seen that there is no underlying upward trend in
consistent growth, which is contrary to the experience of national organizations, and I
suspect that the experience of the YNU is shared by the majority of its Affiliated
Societies.

Our traditional local natural history societies in Yorkshire, including the YNU, do not
seem to be attracting the potential membership which I believe is available today. There
are, of course, a few outstanding exceptions to this generalization and the reasons are
probably complex, although much may have to do with the enthusiasm of dedicated
individuals amongst the existing membership. Perhaps we should be asking ourselves if
the format and organizational structures which have served so well for more than a
century are now in need of revision. I know, for example, that the validity of the
vice-counties as a recording basis in Yorkshire is being increasingly questioned, bearing in
mind that these were abandoned nationally thirty years ago. I suspect that the pattern of
activities of the Affiliated Societies differs little from those of forty years ago, with their
traditional programmes of winter lectures and summer field excursions. Few hold
workshops where the skills and knowledge acquired, often over a lifetime, by the more
experienced members can be passed on to those who are just beginning to study natural
history. I am sure that much more could be made of this type of activity by the specialist
sections of the YNU, to the benefit of both section members and also the members of our
Affiliated Societies.

Forty Years On: Changes in Natural History Studies since 1945
One has also to ask whether the traditional recording areas of many local Societies such
as historic parishes, ‘ten miles from the centre of the town’, and so on, have any real
validity today, apart from a certain nostalgic quaintness! Societies which have launched
out into corporate local recording schemes based on the National Grid often find that such
activities greatly stimulate interest, especially if the results are published. These activities
— workshops, identification sessions, local recording schemes and so on — take time and
energy to organize, but where there is the determination to change course and to develop
members’ latent skills more deeply, the results can be quite dramatic, not least in growth
of membership. We all know the old adage that nothing succeeds like success, and this is
as true of natural history organizations as it is of any human enterprise.

During 1985 I have been privileged to visit about a third of our Affiliated Societies as
well as the Union’s Sectional meetings and what has impressed me most of all has been the

Members of the Wharfedale Naturalists’ Society, seen here watching a wood wasp, on an
outing to Simon’s Seat near Bolton Abbey in 1947. (Photo: H. Marjoram)

wealth of experience and knowledge that is present in our widespread membership. All
over this vast county of York, amateur naturalists are busily working on a wide range of
interests, with remarkable success, but this is insufficient to keep our organizations viable
in a changing environment. Somehow we will have to attract more people into our
Societies and, through them, into the YNU, and encourage them to play an increasingly
active part in all our affairs if we are to have the vigorous growth at both local and county
level that I believe will be essential for our survival into the next century. I have shown
that the potential for exciting growth is all around us; it is up to us all to grasp the
opportunities for expansion that are present in society today as never before.

In conclusion, I wish to acknowledge the assistance which I have received in preparing
this Address: to officers of the RSPB, BTO, and the BBC Natural History Unit for facts

Forty Years On: Changes in Natural History Studies since 1945

and figures; to Don Bramley for YNU membership details, and to my bank colleagues for
economics statistics. To all these I offer thanks, and it is only right that I should make it
clear that the interpretation placed upon the many figures I have been given is entirely my
own. Above all I am deeply indebted to my wife for her forbearance and support, not only
during my Presidential year, but also through all our years together. How Jean has
managed to put up for so long with a self-centred obsessive naturalist I shall never know,
but this is a fitting occasion at which to express publicly my heartfelt gratitude for all that
she has done to make it possible for me to follow my interests with almost undivided
attention for more than thirty years.

BOOK REVIEWS

Yorkshire Mammals edited by M. J. Delany. Pp. 256, with 70 figures, 5 tables and plastic
overlay. University of Bradford. 1985. £3.95, soft cover.

Country floras and faunas have long been standard features of British natural history
literature. At best, mammals have traditionally warranted little more than annotated lists
in general county natural histories or vertebrate faunas. Most of these, compiled around
the end of the 19th century, are out of date, out of print and long forgotten. The
production of a serious book, devoted entirely to the study of mammals on a regional
basis, represents a new and exciting development.

Yorkshire and its offshore waters support an impressively rich and diverse mammal
fauna, with species ranging in size from the pygmy shrew to the fin whale. Professor
Delany has assembled 17 local experts to review all the available data on some 68 species
recorded in Yorkshire, resulting in the first comprehensive mammal review since that
compiled by Clarke and Roebuck in 1881. Included are studies of polecat and wild cat,
now extinct in the county; aliens such as Bennett’s wallaby, grey squirrel, mink and sika
deer, introduced since the days of Clarke and Roebuck; natives such as serotin bat,
mountain hare, grey seal and roe deer, which have colonized, returned or been introduced
to the county since 1881. Brandt’s bat, discovered new to science in 1970, is known to have
been a Yorkshire resident since the 1890s. Yellow-necked mouse, probably long a resident
of the county, here receives its first public recognition. The sagas of feral goat, Chinese
muntjac deer and Chinese water deer make fascinating reading. A bold move is the
recognition of the feral domestic cat as a valid member of our wild fauna. Historical
research has contributed greatly to the understanding of past distribution and status of
many of the series described and has added the greater horseshoe bat to the county list,
thus further extending the known 19th century distribution of this perilously rare species.

Sections on bats and whales are preceded by keys to the identification of species. The
review of each species is prefaced by a description, aids to recognition, measurements and
field characteristics, followed by fascinating critical studies of distribution past and
present, habitat preference, behaviour and biology (breeding, population levels, diet and
parasites).

The book makes available a wealth of information gleaned from personal knowledge
and widely scattered published and archival sources, ranging from the mainstream of
scientific literature to local natural history society minute books, providing in excess of 300
literature references. It also includes an enormous amount of new and hitherto
unpublished research, dealing particularly with changes in status, diet and ecological
studies. Robert Gillmor’s characterful line drawings form an ideal accompaniment to each
terrestrial species section.

Records collected by numerous individual enthusiasts and the recorders of a network of
local natural history societies have been marshalled by the YNU mammal recorder into
tetrad distribution maps. First published in Naturalist 108: 41-82 (1983), these have been
updated. A plastic overlay is provided for use with the meticulously prepared maps: the
first part shows river systems and altitudes, and the second provides 10 km and 100 km
square divisions of the national grid. Though mammals are well recorded in Yorkshire,

Book Reviews 47

the tetrad maps inevitably show ‘clumping’ of records in areas served by active individuals
and societies. This unfortunate bias could perhaps have been used to advantage if the
overlays had identified the areas of these society activities for use as sample plots.

For the Yorkshire patriot the book contains a feast of local anecdotes, references to
familiar places and people, and complements the current wave of books on Yorkshire
flora and fauna. Its importance is not, however, confined merely to parochial or regional
interests. Yorkshire occupies such a large part of the north of England and contains such a
wide range of zoogeographical zones, habitat types and forms of land use that Yorkshire
Mammals has implications for the study of the biology, ecology and distribution of
mammals throughout Britain.

Bradford University is to be congratulated on publishing an important book, full of
fascinating revelations about our native mammals, attractively and informatively illus-
trated and produced at an amazingly low cost.

The Ecology of Woodland Rodents: Bank Voles and Wood Mice, edited by J. R.
Flowerdew, J. Gurnell and J. H. W. Gipps. Pp. xvii + 418, numerous text figures.
Symposium of the Zoological Society of London 55: Clarendon Press, Oxford. 1985.
£42.00.

This important and timely symposium volume is essential reading for anyone interested
in woodland rodents and woodland ecosystems. Whereas many symposia are loosely
related aggregations of the latest research papers of the participants, this is a carefully
balanced and carefully contrived sequence of critical review papers. The editors, who
organized the original symposium, gave each author a well-defined brief, and the 16
authors have responded brilliantly. The chapter headings give a clear indication of the
scope; Berry considers the ecological genetics of Bank Voles and Wood Mice, Clarke
reviews their reproductive biology, Gipps discusses behaviour of Bank Voles, as do
Montgomery and Gurnell for Wood Mice and Yellow-necked Mice. Stoddart and Sales
consider the olfactory and acoustic behaviours of the three species, Hansson their diets,
Grodzinski their ecological energetics, Healing and Nowell their parasites and diseases,
and King their predators. Spatial distribution and movements are described by Walton
and Flowerdew, and two chapters, for bank voles (Alibhai and Gipps) and Apodemus
(Flowerdew), consider population dynamics. Two more general papers summarise the
symposium, one by Stenseth modelling the rodent populations and one by Gurnell
considering the position of the three subject species in the wider context of woodland
rodent communities.

The emphasis throughout is on studies from Britain and Western Europe; other species
of Clethrionomys and Apodemus, and their analogues like Peromyscus , are not generally
discussed, not even in the last chapter. There is, however, no shortage of material. All
authors are at pains to summarize succinctly what is known in each field, and equally to
point out the faults, the dubious assumptions, and the unknowns. It is the combination of
compilation and criticism that makes this such a valuable volume. It is certainly an
essential reference work for anyone interested in the three subject species, and for any
biology library. Even naturalists who can’t afford it themselves should make sure they
have access to a copy.

DWY

Social Odours in Mammals edited by R. E. Brown and D. W. Macdonald. 2 vols, pp. x +
506 + 50 and x + 325 + 50, 36 b/w plates, numerous text figures. Clarendon Press,
Oxford. 1985. £45.00 & £32.50.

This is a comprehensive review of a somewhat larger subject than its title might suggest.
Thirteen authors, who include the two editors, attempt to draw together all that is known
about odours, the glands that produce them, and the behaviours and social systems in
which they are used, in a systematic, order-by-order, account. There are, effectively, 21

Book Reviews

chapters, though the Introduction is not numbered as one of them; 15 are devoted to
coverage of one Order each, except that marine mammals (Cetacea, Pinnipedia, Sirenia),
subungulates (Hyracoidea, Proboscidea, Tubulidentata) and edentates (Edentata and
Pholidota) are grouped, while the Rodentia require three chapters, one for each
Suborder. There are also three chapters given to single species ‘case studies’ (of a tamarin,
a tree shrew and humans) while the remaining two chapters review the sources of odours
in mammals and the effects of odours on rodent reproductive physiology.

The chapters vary in value, reflecting the level of our knowledge or ignorance. The
chapter on edentates is a terse seven pages, which serve to emphasize that we know of the
existence of various skin glands, but know next to nothing of the manner or circumstances
in which they are used. By contrast, David Macdonald presents a very detailed review of
carnivore glands and scent-mark’ing behaviour in 103 pages. This includes an excellent
summary of, for example, the paste-marking of hyaenas; what the glands are at
anatomical and cytological levels, how their secretions are applied to grass stalks, and
where in relation to territory boundaries they are applied. Behavioural experiments, e.g.
with Red Foxes, are also fully covered. Even here, the author is at pains to point out how
little is known of, for example, scent marking behaviours of mongooses.

One is struck, throughout these volumes, by the contrast between the extensive
comparative coverage by the older, anatomical, approach which describes which skin
glands are present in which genera, and the modern, intensive, studies of the behaviour of
necessarily few species. It is the strength of these volumes that, by their comparative
approach and by trying to review all these aspects, they highlight this paradox. As a source
to this diverse literature, they will be an essential reference for many years. The fact that
the quadruple index of 50 pages (author, common name, scientific name and odour
source) is repeated in each volume ensures that the gems which they contain will remain
accessible.

DWY

Advances in Animal Conservation, edited by J. P. Hearn and J. K. Hodges. Pp. xx + 282.
Clarendon Press, Oxford, for the Zoological Society of London. 1985. £35.00.

It is fitting that the Zoological Society of London should have organized this symposium
in 1984, for over the past twenty years or so zoos have made considerable contributions to
the conservation of rare and endangered animals by establishing healthy, properly fed and
above all successfully breeding populations, often distributed over several establishments
in various parts of the world, and involving close international cooperation. Many
illuminating examples of this may be found in the five chapters of the second section of
this book (‘Conservation in captivity’) where various aspects of the care of exotic animals
are discussed, including genetical considerations and the impact of disease. This leads on
to another five chapters in section three (‘Conservation and comparative medicine’) which
illustrate the extent and depth of the research that is going on in zoos into all aspects of
reproduction, to the benefit of rare species and to our own species as well.

The first section (‘Conservation in the wild’) consists of two ‘case histories’, and a
consideration of the prospects of zoo-bred animals into the wild. The one ‘case history’
concerns the Antarctic, where international cooperation is essential, and is working fairly
well. The destruction of whales is diminishing, but the direct exploitation of the krill on
which they feed gives cause for concern. The other is a short account of the remarkable
achievements of the government of South Africa in the conservation of threatened
ungulate species, and a consideration of the prospects for game-farming.

The final section (‘Government and conservation’) has chapters on international trade
in endangered species (some governments are getting to grips with this better than
others), the World Conservation Strategy, ‘Conservation and natural resource develop-
ment’ (unhappily but inevitably a gloomy contribution) and Lord Zuckerman’s concluding
remarks in which he highlights the scientific work of the Zoological Society of London.

FHB

NOTES ON THE KESTREL POPULATION OF
SNOWDONIA, NORTH WALES

P. J. DARE

Glebe House, Toad Row, Henstead, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 7LG

The Kestrel Falco tinnunculus is the most widespread and numerous raptor in Britain
according to the BTO survey of breeding birds (Sharrock 1976). It breeds in a wide range
of habitats, from upland to urban, and numbers are well known to vary annually in some
regions in relation to the abundance of voles, notably Microtus agrestis. In a review of 30
published estimates of Kestrel breeding densities in Europe, Village (1984) drew attention
to problems of making a census of this falcon and cast doubt on the validity of many of the
results. Problems can arise from the sometimes clumped distribution of nests, especially

Kestrel in a disused moorland quarry in North Wales (June 1980): cock bird with
unidentified fledgling ready to feed 1 to 2 day-old chicks. (Photo: R. H. Fisher)

where nest sites are scarce, and from shared feeding ranges, as well as from biases caused
by season of survey and size of census area. Thus, apparent breeding density was found to
be negatively correlated with size of survey area. Of 14 British censuses included in the
above review, only three were for upland Kestrel populations, and all referred to grass
and heather moorlands in Scotland. It seems therefore worth presenting here some
observations on the breeding season abundance of Kestrels in a mountainous region of
Wales, despite the potential problems with assessing numbers of this species.

Naturalist 111 (1986)

50 Notes on the Kestrel Population of Snowdonia, North Wales

Methods

Observations on Kestrels were made in 1979-1982 during the course of annual surveys of
the breeding populations of Raven Corvus corax , Buzzard Buteo buteo and Peregrine F.
peregrinus in the 926 km* 1 2 of Snowdonia which lies west of the Conwy valley and north of
the Vale of Ffestiniog. The study area (Fig 1) is dominated by rugged mountain ranges
separated by deep glaciated valley systems; 85 per cent of the area is above 150m, which
rises to 1,085 m above sea level. Annual precipitation exceeds 1,500 mm over 90 per cent
of the area, and reaches around 2,500 mm in the central massifs. The land-use is
predominantly high-rainfall, montane acidic grassland (sheepwalk) with tracts of heather
moorland and, at lower levels, remnant deciduous woods, several extensive and dense
coniferous forests (9 per cent of the area), scrub, and enclosed pastures.

From March to July inclusive each year, approximately 500 hours were spent in the
field. All sightings of Kestrels and their activities were recorded during repeated searches
of the various habitats and localities throughout the study area.

Additional information was provided by other resident observers. From the geographi-
cal and temporal pattern of sightings, the distribution of confirmed breeders and of
probable and possible breeding birds was mapped. Probable breeders were pairs observed
prospecting, courting or mating at suitable sites in April, as well as others mobbing
Buzzards near cliffs in June. Possible pairs relate to localities where only single Kestrels
were observed in suitable nesting terrain, though usually on more than one occasion in a
season, or in more than one year. No special effort was made to locate all nests, the main
emphasis of field work being carried out on the other three species mentioned above.

Results

Records of Kestrels in the breeding season were scattered rather sparsely but fairly evenly
throughout the valleys and lower mountain slopes though, in fine weather at least, some
birds foraged up the steep mountain-sides to above 750m elevation (Fig 1). Table 1
summarizes the numbers of actual (minimum) and presumed or possible (maximum) pairs
located in Snowdonia and for each of its four sub-areas as demarcated by mountain blocks

TABLE 1

Estimated breeding season numbers and densities of Kestrels in Snowdonia, 1979-82

Sub-area

Area

(km2)

No. Pairs Estimated
Minimum Maximum

Density (pairs/100 km2)
Minimum Maximum

Carneddau (north)

251

4.0

6.4

Central

201

2.5

6.0

South-west

176

7.4

10.8

South-east

298

1.7

5.7

926

3.6

6.9

Notes:

1 . Minimum pairs refers to pairs observed courting, prospecting nest sites or confirmed as
breeding; maximum pairs include those deduced from sightings of single birds in
suitable breeding habitats during March-July.

2. The 4 sub-areas are: (i) Carneddau — northernmost mountain range; (ii) Central —
Glyder and Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) massifs; (iii) South-west — ranges west of
Aberglaslyn — Waunfawr pass; (iv) South-east — ranges between Nantgwynant and
R. Conwy.

Notes on the Kestrel Population of Snowdonia, North Wales

FIGURE 1

Topographical map of Snowdonia study area showing major habitats and the distribution
of Kestrel records during the breeding seasons, 1979-82. Filled circles denote located
nests, half-filled circles mark pairs observed at probable nest sites, and open circles show
localities where only single birds were observed. The area boundary is indicated by dashed
or dash-dot lines, and boundaries between sub-areas by dotted lines. Rivers are not shown

below the 150 m contour.

Notes on the Kestrel Population of Snowdonia, North Wales

and passes. The records suggest that the total population was likely to have been between
33 and 64 pairs, implying an overall density of between 3.6 and 6.9 pairs/100 km2.
However, as these values are derived from aggregated records, the numbers present in a
given year might have been somewhat lower. On the other hand, in most Kestrel localities
birds were seen in more than one year, and in some every year. Observed densities were
highest in the south-western sub-area (7.4-10.8 pairs/100 km2), and lowest in the
south-east (1.7-5. 7 pairs/100 km2). The former sub-area contained the highest proportion
(30 per cent) of enclosed pastures, whereas the latter was the most densely afforested (20
per cent cover). The above estimates should be regarded as preliminary and a basis for
more detailed study in the future. Casual observations since 1982 suggest that Kestrel
numbers in Snowdonia are more or less stable, although there appears to be sufficient
habitat for a further 20-25 pairs, i.e. a potential density of around 9 pairs/100 km2.

Table 2 compares the deduced number of Kestrel pairs with the number of Buzzard
pairs determined by complete census (Dare in prep.)\ it also summarizes the relative
frequencies with which adult Kestrels, Peregrines and Buzzards were seen from
mid-March to mid-July in 1980 and 1981. In Snowdonia overall. Buzzard pairs outnum-
bered Kestrels by a factor of between 1.4 and 2.7. However, in the south-western
sub-area, where Kestrel density was relatively high (Table 1), roughly equal numbers of
the two raptors nested.

TABLE 2

The abundance of Kestrels relative to other raptors in Snowdonia as indicated by the ratios
of: (a) the numbers of pairs located, (b) the numbers of adults seen in the breeding season

Kestrel

Peregrine

Buzzard

(a) ratio of pairs

1 :

: 1.4-2. 7

(b) adult sightings per day

1 :

0.5

: 6.6

Notes:

1. Buzzard pairs censused accurately (Dare in prep.)-. Peregrine data not available for
publication.

2. Adult sightings refer to a ca. 10 hour field-day, are averaged over the 1980 and 1981
breeding seasons (mid-March to mid-July), and exclude Buzzards flushed from nests
during routine nest inspections.

There was no suspicion that two or more Kestrel pairs might be aggregated in any
locality. Indeed, birds generally appeared to be so thinly spread that Kestrel sightings per
day were always exceeded greatly by Buzzard sightings (Table 2), and on two occasions
even by those of Peregrine. It should be stressed, however, that sighting frequencies do
not necessarily afford an accurate index of relative abundance, partly due to weather
influences, and especially to interspecific differences in diurnal and seasonal activity
patterns. Neverthless, the sightings ratios in Table 2 confirm suggestions of low Kestrel
density in Snowdonia.

Breeding was confirmed in 16 localities and 10 nests were found. In south-west
Snowdonia, six nest sites were spaced from 2.1 to 4.0 km apart. Observed nests were all
between 105 m and 410 m above sea level, but the highest observed pairs probably bred at
around 450m. In Britain, almost all Kestrel nests are below 480m (Cramp and Simmons
1979); approximately 25 per cent of the Snowdonia study area lies above this altitude
(Fig 1). Most Kestrels probably nested on crags and vegetated bluffs, even where mature
trees and old corvid nests were plentiful. Of the ten nests found, seven were on natural
rock faces (including four in disused nests of Ravens) and three were in abandoned slate
quarries (one in the old nest of a Buzzard). By contrast, east of the Conwy river (outside

Notes on the Kestrel Population of Snowdonia, North Wales
the study area), and in a region of upland sheep and cattle farms and extensive moors with
few cliffs and quarries. Kestrels were found to nest chiefly in trees. Here they occupied
tree holes as well as old nests of Carrion Crow C. corone and Magpie Pica pica , but some
utilized the only available quarries in addition to several disused crag nests of Raven and
Buzzard.

Discussion

The previously reported densities of breeding Kestrels in upland Britain (Scotland) range
from 7 pairs/100 km2 in Speyside (Macmillan 1969) to 42 pairs/100 km2 in Dumfries
during a year of high vole abundance (Picozzi and Hewson 1970). Under presumably more
normal food conditions in Dumfries, Village (1984) reported 27 pairs/100 km2. In the
cultivated lowlands of southern and eastern England since 1960, densities of 4-27
pairs/100 km2 have been estimated (review by Village 1984). The deduced density in
Snowdonia (3. 6-6. 9 pairs/100 km2) thus falls at the lower end of the range for British
Kestrels, while that in south-west Snowdonia (7.4-10.8 pairs/100 km2) was similar to the
Speyside density. The Snowdonia values also lie close to the regression line of apparent
breeding density on study area size calculated by Village (1984).

Brown (1976) stated that there are very large tracts of moorland and mountains in
Scotland and elsewhere where the Kestrel is relatively rare, partly because of lack of
suitable nesting sites. In Snowdonia, however, where a shortage of sites for such a
versatile nester seems unlikely, Kestrels nevertheless were outnumbered by the much
larger and equally adaptable Buzzard with 12-13 pairs/100 km2 (Table 2; Dare in prep.).
A similar situation was noted on Dartmoor where 39 km2 of upland farms and moorland
held 10-15 pairs of tree-nesting Buzzards but only 1-5 pairs of Kestrels over a 12-year
period (Dare and Hamilton 1968). The comparative scarcity of Kestrels in prime Buzzard
country in Snowdonia, as on Dartmoor, may conceivably reflect competition with
Buzzards for small mammal food resources. In these two regions, both raptors routinely
hunt open terrain by hovering or from perches, and both take small rodents and shrews
Sorex spp. as principal prey, as well as amphibians, lizards Lacerta vivipara and small birds
(Dare 1961 and in prep.).

Immature Kestrels have been recorded as prey at Buzzard nests in Snowdonia (Dare in
prep.) and mid-Wales (P. E. Davis pers. comm.). It may therefore be relevant that
breeding Kestrels in Snowdonia rarely shared large and otherwise suitable cliffs with
nesting Buzzards, whereas Peregrines and Ravens both did so in several places. Further,
the recently increased population of Peregrines in Snowdonia could be excluding Kestrels
from some nest cliffs.

Summary

The breeding population of Kestrels in 926 km2 of predominantly mountainous terrain
during 1979-1982 is estimated to have been 33-64 pairs, at an average density in the range
3. 6-6. 9 pairs/100 km2. This result is near the lower end of the recorded range for this
species in Britain.

Breeding was restricted mainly to below 450 m altitude, and most pairs probably nested
on crags and in disused quarries where old nests of Raven and Buzzard were also utilized
on occasions. The possibility that low Kestrel density might have been due in part to
competition for food with more abundant Buzzards is discussed.

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank the following observers who provided local information: J. C. Barnes, B.
Boothroyd, J. Driver, G. Jones-Ellis, R. H. Fisher, G. Parry and G. Roberts.

References

Brown, L. H. (1976) British Birds of Prey. Collins, London.

Cramp, S. and Simmons, K. E. L., eds. (1979) The Birds of the Western Palearctic.
Volume 2. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

54 Notes on the Kestrel Population of Snowdonia , North Wales

Dare, P. J. (1961) Ecological observations on a breeding population of the Common
Buzzard, Buteo buteo , with particular reference to the diet and feeding habits. Ph.D.
thesis. University of Exeter.

Dare, P. J. and Hamilton, L. I. (1968) Birds of the Postbridge area, Dartmoor, 1956-67.
Devon Birds 21: 22-31.

Macmillan, A. T. (1969) Scottish Bird Report for 1968. Scott. Birds 5: 319.

Picozzi, N. and Hewson, R. (1970) Kestrels, Short-eared Owls and Field Voles in
Eskdalemuir in 1970. Scott. Birds 6: 185-91.

Sharrock, J. T. R. (1976) The Atlas of Breeding Birds in Britain and Ireland. Poyser,
Berkhamsted.

Village, A. (1984) Problems in estimating Kestrel breeding density. Bird Study 31:
121-125.

BOOK REVIEWS

The Oxford Book of British Bird Names by W. B. Lockwood. Pp. 174. Oxford University
Press. 1984. £7.95.

This most interesting and useful volume consists of an alphabetical list of the English
names of British birds and their etymological origins. It is simply that, but a most revealing
book nevertheless. How often does one wonder why on earth a certain species has such a
strange name? Here are the answers, and some are not always what one would expect. In
addition to explaining the local vernacular names, such as Joe Benn (Marsh Tit) and Pick
Tarnie (Common or Arctic Tern), it tells us the origins of the accepted names such as
Blackbird — a name that could only have applied to a small bird in the 15th century when
it was first used, as larger birds such as crows were called jowls.

Do you know, for instance, what a Poke Pudding is? Buy this book and all will be
revealed.

Coastal Waders and Wildfowl in Winter, edited by P. R. Evans, J. D. Goss-Custard and
W. G. Hale for the British Ornithologists’ Union. Pp. 331. Cambridge University Press,
Cambridge. 1984. £27.50.

This work is based on the contributions for a conference in 1981 and as the editors say,
\ . . this book will be of value to students of animal ecology and behaviour as well as to
ornithologists interested in the conservation of birds in coastal habitats . . .’

The three main sections. The influence of food resources on the use of feeding areas,
Social behaviour and the use of feeding areas, and The significance of specified areas in
the Palearctic-African migration routes of waders, are packed with the results of solid
research and have lengthy reference lists. Most of the intensive studies carried out on this
large group of birds in recent years, much of it with a view to assessing the need for
conservation, is here. A book for the specialist or wader enthusiast and expensive.

Robins by Chris Mead; illustrated by Kevin Baker. Pp. 128. Whittet Books, London.
1984. £4.95.

An interesting production for those who want to learn most of what is known about our
national bird. There are no fewer than 53 chapters, ranging from migration to how to
breed mealworms!

The style attempts a little humour from time to time but the more serious chapters are
sound and include distribution, habitat, plumage, moult, display and song.

The whole is a collection of available data rather than the results of a special study by
the author. There are, inevitably, a few anomalies and omissions but it is a ‘nice little
book’ and worth the price.

JRM

AMBLYGAMASUS DENTIPES (C. L. KOCH) (MESOSTIGMATA:
PARASITIDAE), A TERRESTRIAL MITE NEW TO THE BRITISH ISLES

KEITH H. HYATT

Department of Zoology, British Museum ( Natural History), London SW7 5 BD

In March 1984 Mr Julian Dison, a biology student at the University of York, asked me to
identify four specimens of a large parasitid mite. His work involved predator-prey studies
of Mesostigmata and Collembola on rough pasture in the Yorkshire Wolds and most of
the time he had been working with a well-known parasitid, Pergamasus longicornis
(Berlese) (Dison 1984).

I identified Mr Dison’s specimens (2cfc?, 2$ 9) as Amblygamasus dentipes (C. L.
Koch, 1839) which was described originally from Regensburg in Bavaria, southern
Germany. Since then it has only been recorded from Holland (Oudemans 1902, 1926),
Austria (Irk, 1947), Switzerland (Schweizer 1961) and France (Athias-Henriot 1967).
Turk (1953) listed this species in his ‘Synonymic Catalogue of British Acari’, but
Bhattacharyya (1963) was unable to find authentic British specimens. Recent correspon-
dence with Dr F. A. Turk has revealed that in about 1944 or 1945 he had borrowed from
the Rev. J. E. Hull a thick typescript, compiled c. 1937-8, in which Hull identified
Amblygamasus dentipes in a tube of material sent to him by William Falconer and
collected at Marsh Cote, Harden, Yorkshire by a Mr W. P. Winter in 1921. There is in the
Hull Collection in the British Museum (Natural History) a single female ‘Parasitid: W. P.
Winter’ without further data which on examination is probably Paragamasus runciger
(Berlese), a common British species.

Dr Turk also recalls identifying Amblygamasus dentipes among slides of Acari sent to
him by Harry Britten senior, probably in the early 1950s. This recollection is strengthened
by the fact that Dr Turk’s working copy of his ‘Synonymic Catalogue’ has the letters
‘H. B.’ against this species. However, re-examination of both the Harry Britten material
in Manchester Museum (including a recent computer printout of the collection) and the
C. D. Radford collection, has failed to locate this material. Dr Turk further recollects that he
identified Amblygamasus dentipes amongst slides sent to him by Eugene O’Mahony of
Dublin. However, no such slides can be located at present in the National Museum of
Ireland in Dublin (Dr J. P. O’Connor, in litt .) where they were allegedly deposited.

Thus, there is no proof that this species has been authentically recorded from the British
Isles and the present material may constitute the first confirmed record.

Amblygamasus dentipes (C. L. Koch)

Gamasus dentipes C. L. Koch, 1839: 26, Taf. 1.

Gamasus (Amblygamasus) dentipes : Berlese, 1906: 187.

Porrhostaspis dentipes : Muller, 1860: 177.

Parasitus dentipes : Oudemans, 1902: 38.

Pergamasus dentipes : Micherdzinski, 1969: 332. Karg, 1971: 389, 412.

Pergamasus hamatus var. longipes Schweizer, 1961: 62 Syn. nov.*, syntype from
Birsfelden examined.

Amblygamasus basileus Schweizer, 1961: 70. Syn. nov.*t

* Athias-Henriot (1967) suggested that these two taxa might be synonyms of dentipes.
t Micherdzinski (1969) included basileus in the synonymy of dentipes , but stated that it
would be necessary to examine the types to be certain. However, I am informed by Dr
C. Bader that Schweizer made only glycerine preparations of some of his material and
that much of it, including the type of basileus , could not be salvaged. In the absence of
evidence to the contrary I have followed Micherdzinski and consider basileus to be a
synonym of dentipes.

Naturalist 111 (1986)

A Terrestrial Mite New to the British Isles

FIGURES 1-8: Amblygamasus dentipes (C. L. Koch), male, 1, dorsum; 2, venter; 3,
tectum; 4, chelicera; 5, palp trochanter, femur and genu; 6, venter of gnathosoma; 7, leg
II, entire; 8, leg II, reverse side of part of genu and tibia.

A Terrestrial Mite New to the British Isles

FIGURES 9-15: Amblygamasus dentipes (C. L. Koch), female, 9, dorsum; 10, venter; 11,
endogynium; 12, tectum; 13, chelicera; 14, palp trochanter, femur and genu; 15, venter of

gnathosoma.

58 A Terrestrial Mite New to the British Isles

IMMATURE STAGES.

Unknown

MALE. Idiosoma 1,160 pm long x 600 pm wide in both Yorkshire specimens, strongly
sclerotized, completely divided dorsally by a median incision, entirely reticulated in
posterior half, almost devoid of reticulations in anterior half (Fig 1). Podonotal region
with c.41 pairs of simple setae not arranged symmetrically, setae jl the longest
(c. 110 pm). Opisthonotal region with up to 76 pairs of simple setae measuring 85-100 |xm
in length.

Tritosternum with short, narrow base and paired pilose laciniae (Fig 2). Ventral region
covered by a reticulated holoventral shield. Dorsal median division continuing ventrally to
posterior of stigma. All setae simple, slender. Sternal setae c.85pm in length, median
opisthogastric setae c. 105 pm, postanal seta c. 1.5 times the length of paranal seta.
Peritreme finely granular, extending to level of coxa I.

Tectum (Fig 3) granular, with three prominent spines, median one longest. Chelicera
(Fig 4) with movable digit 195 pm and bearing two prominent teeth, fixed digit with
prominent pointed tooth adjacent to the pilus dentilis and with about sixteen very small
teeth in a single row ending in a large squarish forward-pointing tooth basally. Chaetotaxy
of palp trochanter, femur and genu as in figure 5; trochanter with posterolateral seta
spinelike, arising from a conspicuous eminence, anterolateral seta stout, pilose; femur
with anterolateral seta spatulate; genu with both anterolateral setae strongly pectinate.
Venter of gnathosoma as in figure 6; corniculi strong, conspicuously swollen basally, all
setae slender and finely pectinate, ten to eleven rows of hypognathal denticles discernible.
Legs with setae generally slender and mainly simple. Leg II shown in detail in figures 7
and 8; femur, genu and tibia with strong, backward-directed, ventral spurs as follows: that
on femur deeply incised and swollen, on genu curved and thumblike, on tibia swollen
medially and tapering distally; genu and tibia additionally with conspicuous, short, strong
dorsal and lateral spurs as figured.

FEMALE. Dorsal shield (1,170 pm long x 635 pm wide in the figured specimen,
1,150 pm x 610 pm in the second specimen) entire, strongly sclerotized and, like the
male, entirely reticulated in posterior half, but almost devoid of reticulations in anterior
half (Fig 9). Podonotal region with up to c.43 pairs of simple setae arranged fairly
symmetrically; setae jl longest, c. 112 pm. Opisthonotal region with up to c.63 pairs of
simple setae, surrounding membrane with about 25 pairs of simple setae measuring up to
almost 120 pm.

Tritosternum with long narrow base and pilose laciniae (Fig 10). Presternal shields
strong, trapezoidal, granular. Sternal, metasternal and genital shields strongly sclerotized,
reticulated and granular. Sternal shield with median incision on posterior margin,
reticulations radiating from the incision. Endopodal shields fused with metasternal shields
to form strongly sclerotized borders. Genital shield strongly outlined and pentagonal,
broadly pointed anteriorly. The endogynium distorts easily, but its principal features are
shown in figure 11. Opisthogastric shield with c.20 pairs of setae, surrounding membrane
with just a few pairs on ventral side and close to the shield. All ventral setae, except anals,
c. 100 pm in length, slender and simple. Paranal setae c.40pm, postanal seta c.56pm.
Peritreme finely granular, extending anteriorly to level of coxa I; peritrematic shield free
from holodorsal shield posteriorly.

Tectum (Fig 12) trispinate, centre spine more slender than in the male, lateral spines
shorter. In the figured female there are small fine teeth between the centre and outer
spines. Chelicera as in figure 13; fixed digit with about six distinct plain teeth and in its
basal half a 3-4 cusped irregular tooth; movable digit c. 230 pm, with three distinct large
teeth. Chaetotaxy of palp trochanter, femur and genu as in figure 14; both setae of
trochanter stout, posterolateral faintly pilose, anterolateral strongly pilose; femur with
anterolateral seta spatulate; genu with both anterolateral setae strongly pectinate, similar
to the male. Venter of gnathosoma as in figure 15; corniculi strong, not swollen basally, all

Naturalists on Hatfield Moor: Further Notes 59

setae slender, only external posterior hypostomatics and palpcoxals with fine pectinations;
about twelve rows of hypognathal denticles. Legs with all setae slender, some mainly
ventral setae pilose, remainder simple.

MATERIAL. Two males and two females collected by Mr J. Dison from rough,
calcareous pasture at Givendale (SE 814537), East Yorkshire Wolds, Humberside, during
November 1983.

Acknowledgements

I thank Mr J. Dison for sending the specimens to me and Dr M. B. Usher for his
comments on the manuscript. Dr C. Bader (Basel) kindly lent a syntype slide of
Pergamasus hamatus var. longipes and also Schweizer’s original drawings and notes of
both longipes and Amblygamasus basileus.

References

Athias-Henriot, C. (1967) Observations sur les Pergamasus. III. Sous-genre Ambly-
gamasus Berlese, 1903 (Acariens Anactinotriches; Parasitidae). Acarologia 9: 762-800.
Berlese, A. (1906) Monografia del genere Gamasus Latr. Redia 3: 66-304.
Bhattacharyya, S. K. (1963) A revision of the British mites of the genus Pergamasus
Berlese s. lat. (Acari: MeSostigmata). Bull. Br. Mus. nat. Hist. (Zool.) 2: 131-242.
Dison, J. (1984) Comparison of predation by three British mites: Hypoaspis aculeifer,
Pergamasus longicornis and Amblygamasus dentipes (Acarina: Mesostigmata). Unpub-
lished B.Sc. thesis. University of York.

Irk, V. (1947) Die terricolen Acari der Otztaler und Stubaier Hochalpen. Veroff Mus.
Ferdinandeum Innsb. 19: 145-89.

Karg, W. (1971) Acari (Acarina), Milben Unterordnung Anactinochaeta (Parasiti-
formes). Die freilebenden Gamasina (Gamasides), Raubmilben. Tierwelt Dtl. 59:
1-475.

Koch, C. L. (1839) Deutschlands Crustaceen, Myriapoden und Arachniden. Regensburg.
Heft 26, no. 1.

Micherdzinski, W. (1969) Die Familie Parasitidae Oudemans 1901 (Acarina, Mesostig-
mata). Krakow.

Muller, J. (1860) Insectenepizoen der mahrischen Fauna. Jh. naturw. Sect. mahr.

schl. Ges. Ackerb. Natur. Landesk. 1859: 157-84.

Oudemans, A. C. (1902) New list of Dutch Acari. Second part. With remarks on known
and descriptions of a new subfamily, new genera and species. Tijdschr. Ent. 45: 1-52.
Oudemans, A. C. (1926) Acarologische Aanteekeningen 81. Ent. Ber., Amst. 7: 97-102.
Schweizer, J. (1961) Die Landmilben der Schweiz (Mittelland, Jura und Alpen).

Parasitiformes Reuter. Denkschr. schweiz. naturf. Ges. 84: 1-207.

Turk, F. A. (1953) A synonymic catalogue of British Acari. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (12) 6:
1-26, 81-99.

NATURALISTS ON HATFIELD MOOR: FURTHER NOTES

MARTIN LIMBERT
Museum and Art Gallery, Doncaster

In a recent paper on Hatfield Moor (Limbert 1985), details were given of a visit made to
several parts of the Doncaster district by J. C. Dale et al. in 1837, probably at the
invitation of Dale’s lifelong friend, the Rev. F. O. Morris, who was then assistant curate of
Armthorpe and Christ Church, Doncaster (Morris 1897). During the 1837 excursions,
Hatfield Moor was visited on 25 July. As it is unlikely that Dale et al. were invited to
unknown and unworked sites, this implies a local familiarity with Hatfield Moor. In

Naturalist 111 (1986)

Naturalists on Hatfield Moor: Further Notes

support of this, I have since discovered that Morris possessed at least some knowledge of
the Hatfield Chase region, of which Hatfield Moor is a part. In a general account of the
chase, published in 1837, Morris remarked:

'I have travelled much, both in England and Ireland, but never did I before
behold so strange and anomalous a region. The naturalist will visit “the Level of
Hatfield Chase” with a spirit of enquiry, at least such was my case, for I had
heard so much of the mystery in which its history is involved that I embraced the
first opportunity of accompanying a friend who had greatly excited my curiosity
by his description of the country.’

The 1837 record of Nomada leucophthalma (Kirby) from Hatfield Moor, contained in
the C. W. Dale manuscript catalogue of the Dale Collection, is actually based on a
misidentified specimen. I am grateful to Dr M. E. Archer for pointing out that the
relevant specimen is an example of N. obtusifrons Nyl.

I surmised that the first entomologists to encounter Large Heath Coenonympha tullia
Miill. on Hatfield Moor were probably J. R. Hawley and Edwin Birchall. However, F.
O. Morris presumably noted the insect during his Doncaster years, though there is
admittedly no available evidence for this. Equally likely, the Doncaster taxidermist and
natural history dealer Hugh Reid located the species on the moorland. He came to
Doncaster c. 1812, and remained until his death in 1863. He was interested in ornithology
as well as Lepidoptera, and for example proved Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa (L.)
to breed on Hatfield Moor. I have no date for the latter, but it seems to have occurred
sometime before 1829 (cf. Witherby et al. 1940), and thus Reid probably also encountered
Coenonympha tullia before that year.

Samuel Hudson, a ‘labouring man naturalist’ (Anon. 1904), perhaps best known as the
chronicler of Mazarine Blue Cyaniris semiargus Rott. at Epworth, just to the west of
Hatfield Moor, visited the latter site for Coenonympha tullia in the 1860s, and possibly
earlier. In the Zoologist for 1864, Hudson described the eggs and larvae of the butterfly
from Hatfield specimens, which he fed on Rhynchospora alba (L.) Vahl from that
moorland. According to Barrett (1893), Hudson ‘appears to have been the first in this
country to notice the preparatory stages of this insect’, though this statement is not
entirely accurate (e.g. Chappell 1856).

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to T. M. Melling, W. E. Rimington and Dr M. E. Archer for information
supplied.

References

Anon. (1904) [Note on the death of Samuel H. Hudson.] Naturalist 29: 192.

Barrett, C. G. (1893) The Lepidoptera of the British Islands, vol. 1. London.

Chappell, J. (1856) Coenonympha Davus. Ent. Wkly Int. 1: 35.

Hudson, S. (1864) Description of the eggs and larvae of Chortobius Davus. Zoologist 22:
9252.

Limbert, M. (1985) Naturalists on Hatfield Moor. Naturalist 110: 103-10.

Morris, F. O. (1837) Some account of the level of Hatfield Chase. Naturalist (Maund and
Holl) 1: 80-3.

Morris, M. C. F. (1897) Francis Orpen Morris. A Memoir. London.

Witherby, H. F., Jourdain, F. C. R., Ticehurst, N. F. and Tucker, B. W. (1940) The
Handbook of British Birds, vol. 4. London.

THE INTRODUCTION, SPREAD AND CURRENT DISTRIBUTION OF
RHODODENDRON PONTICUM IN THE PEAK DISTRICT AND
SHEFFIELD AREA

I D. ROTHERHAM

Department of Botany, University of Sheffield

Introduction

As an invasive alien, the status and spread of Rhododendron ponticum has been studied at
a number of individual sites within the British Isles (Cross 1973, 1981; Robinson 1971,
1980; Fuller and Boorman 1977). Its spread over the country as a whole has been
considered by Brown (1953a, 1953b), Elton (1958) and Cross (1975).

The introduction, spread and current distribution of the plant within the Peak District
and surrounding areas has received little attention. R. ponticum was not mentioned in the
floras of Lees (1888), Linton (1903) or Moss (1913). The first reference in local or regional
floras is in the Flora of Derbyshire (Clapham 1969), which states that R. ponticum is an
introduced species often planted in woods and elsewhere, spreading freely on suitably
moist, acid soils, both under shade and in the open. It is described as being locally
abundant. A number of sites are recorded on soil derived from both the Millstone Grit
and Coal Measures Series (Upper Derwent Dale (SK19); Taxal (SK0080); Blacka Moor
(SK2880); Buxton (SK07); Grindleford (SK2778); Rowsley (SK2865); Beauchief
(SK3381); Cordwell (SK3076); Ogston (SK3759). There is also one record on the
Carboniferous Limestone at Fenny Bentley (SK1750). (Some of these records, for
example that at Grindleford (SK2778), may be inaccurate.) Further records in the
Supplement to Flora of Derbyshire, 1974-1979 (Hollick and Patrick 1980) include one for
Lathkill Dale (SK16), also on the Carboniferous Limestone.

According to Anderson and Shimwell (1981), R. ponticum was planted in some early
coniferous plantations which were established as coverts. They note that it is locally
dominant in the Chunal Plantation south of Glossop, in plantings at the southern end of
Beeley Moor and around Park Hall in Little Hayfield. At this latter site it is invading the
adjacent heather moorland. It is also noted as a prominent component of some mixed and
deciduous plantations, as in Lyme Park, Disley. Anderson and Shimwell describe the
Errwood Hall woodlands as being the home of Rhododendron in the Peak District, with
some 40,000 specimens being planted there in the 1850s.

A major difficulty in tracing the introduction and spread of R. ponticum is that because
of its alien status, botanists have tended to neglect it — even though considerably rarer
exotics may be recorded. It is also frequently absent from records of gardens and estates
since it was the ‘common rhododendron’ and perhaps not worthy of note, despite being
planted on a massive scale.

Piecing together the picture of the introduction and spread of R. ponticum in the Peak
District and Sheffield area must, therefore, rely on currently extractable information.

Method

Firstly, a survey was carried out to establish the present distribution on a 1 km x 1 km
square basis (Fig 1). Areas were visited and numerous appeals for information were made
to local naturalists, landowners and the general public. The response was good and many
squares with naturalized R. ponticum were found. Aerial photographs of the area were
also examined. Secondly, sites of known or suspected introduction were identified. Where
possible, information was obtained from landowners, local library archives or other data
sources, concerning dates and reasons for introduction. Thirdly, a general survey of
relevant local natural history publications and other literature supplemented the above.

Records were collected over the period 1979-84.

Naturalist 111 (1986)

62 The Introduction, Spread and Current Distribution of Rhododendron ponticum

FIGURE 1 The distribution of Rhododendron ponticum in the Peak District and Sheffield area

The Introduction, Spread and Current Distribution of Rhododendron ponticum 63
Results

Known sites and dates of introduction of R. ponticum are presented in Table 1. The
earliest records of introduction in this area are from around 1830 on the major estates such
as Chatsworth (in the east of the Peak District) and Errwood (in the west). These were as
part of large scale landscaping schemes for gardens and estates and presumably as cover
for game. Alderwasley Hall (in the east) and Lyme Park (in the west) may have followed
relatively close behind, sometime between 1850 and 1890.

The first known introduction in Sheffield was by the Wilsons at Beauchief, between
1850 and 1870. The same family was responsible for introductions to Ecclesall Woods
(c. 1870), Cordwell (c. 1870-1890) and Upper Derwent Dale (c. 1900). The Wilsons were
also responsible via friends or relatives for the introduction of R. ponticum to numerous
sites throughout the area east of the Peak and west or north of Sheffield (e.g. Broomhead
Hall, Fairthorn Lodge, Sugworth Hall, Sydnope Hall and, possibly, Ogston Hall, all
c. 1900). All these were primarily for wildlife cover, although it seems likely that in
exposed sites such as Broomhead they may also have served as wind-breaks.

The period 1890-1900 also saw introductions taking place to the south-east of Sheffield
at Renishaw and to the north-west of Sheffield at Strawberry Lee Plantation and
Longshaw, primarily for ornament but at Strawberry Lee, also probably as a shelter-belt.
By the turn of the century, R. ponticum had already been introduced to many of the sites
from which it has since spread, with subsequent main introductions on estates to the east
of Sheffield during the period 1920-1930. These were primarily for game cover. Figure 1
shows the current distribution of R. ponticum in the Peak District and Sheffield area.

Discussion

The present distribution reflects the pattern of introduction, the suitability of habitats and
the degree of management employed. A major factor limiting the spread of R. ponticum is
the availability of suitable sites for seedling germination and survival. Relatively open,
moss-covered ground and humid conditions are essential (Cross 1973). Disturbance of
vegetation and soil by forestry management, grazing animals, or other events such as
moorland fires, appear to considerably increase the availability of such sites. This supports
similar findings of Fuller and Boorman (1977) and Cross (1981).

At sites where such disturbance occurs, R. ponticum actively invades surrounding
vegetation such as woodland (e.g. Chatsworth), moorland (e.g. Hallam Moor (SK2686),
Blacka Moor (SK2880), Broomhead Moor, Park Hall, Stanton Moor) or rough grassland
(e.g. Ewden Valley below Broomhead Hall, Cordwell, Matlock Forest near Sydnope
Hall).

At sites which are less disturbed, spread is by vegetative means, with apparently
restricted regeneration from seed. Examples of this are Ladies Spring Wood (near
Beauchief Hall) and Strawberry Lee Plantation. In the latter case, no seedlings or young
bushes were found in the central, more open area of the wood, the only spread apparently
being vegetative from the original planting around the perimeter. Spread by seed is
occurring on the adjacent heather moor, as shown by two small R. ponticum bushes
presumably originating from wind-blown seed.

Spread may occur over distances up to at least 1 km from the original site. This is
probably as a result of dispersal of the very small seeds (1000 seeds weigh c.60mg —
Brown 1953a) which are produced in profusion (c. 1 million by a bush 2 m high and 10 m
circumference — Brown 1953a) and can be carried over considerable distances by the
strong winds which characterize the Peak District uplands.

Some control and eradication work is now being carried out, either by the Forestry
Commission or with the aid of conservation volunteers at sites owned by the National
Trust or private estates such as Chatsworth. However, such attempts are expensive,
labour intensive, and largely unsuccessful since R. ponticum is very resistant to most
herbicides and, even after treatment, still requires physical removal of dead material. The
overall effect is to cause severe damage to soil, other vegetation and, in some cases, to

Introduction of Rhododendron ponticum

64 The Introduction, Spread and Current Distribution of Rhododendron ponticum

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The Introduction, Spread and Current Distribution of Rhododendron ponticum 65

superficial geological features. At a number of sites such as Stand Wood, Chatsworth or
Upper Derwent Dale, R. ponticum is cleared from within woodlands and maintained as an
‘amenity screen’ around woodland edges and roadsides. The obvious drawback with such
a policy is the constant source of abundant seed adjacent to managed woodland which
provides ideal regeneration habitats.

The picture which emerges is that R. ponticum has been introduced to what are often
the ideal situations for it — acid soils, sheltered moist woods and valleys with abundant
sites for regeneration by seed. In addition to this, the exposure of some sites to periodic
very strong winds ensures successful dispersal.

Within the Peak, R. ponticum is generally absent from the Carboniferous Limestone.
Where it has been introduced (presumably on the more acid soils) its spread is clearly
restricted by lack of suitable soils. Being shallow rooted, it is able to grow in relatively thin
layers of acid soil overlying calcareous soil or rock.

Around the perimeter of the White Peak, R. ponticum is abundant and widespread in
the horseshoe-shaped regions of Millstone Grit and associated geology to the west, east
and north. It is most successful on the wooded slopes below the gritstone edges of river
valleys to the east (e.g. Chatsworth) and the west (e.g. Errwood). The occurrence and
spread in the northern gritstone area is probably restricted by the bleak, open, high
altitude topography of the Kinder/Bleaklow massif. The river valleys along either side of
this central area of the Dark Peak and further south, the White Peak have abundant R.
ponticum .

The maximum altitude at which R. ponticum occurs in the Peak District is between
300 m and 400 m. High altitude sites include Broomhead Moor (320 m), Kinder Reservoir
(305 m), Wood’s Cabin on Kinder (SK0592) (380m), Strawberry Lee Plantation (380m),
Fairthorn (380m), Chatsworth (305 m) and Errwood (300-400 m).

In the regions east of the Peak District, R. ponticum is less abundant though still
widespread. It occurs most frequently on sites that either are or were parts of estates
(large or small) during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Bushes in gardens at Nether Edge,
Sheffield, for example, pre-date the present houses (c. 1930). The bushes originate from
the grounds of the local hall and have since been absorbed into the suburban
development. Throughout the Coal Measures regions around Sheffield the occurrence of
R. ponticum is restricted by extensive housing and industrial development.

Further east R. ponticum is generally restricted to the large estates, particularly on the
Bunter Sandstone of the Dukeries around Worksop. It appears to be absent from the
Magnesian Limestone for much the same reasons as from most of the Carboniferous
Limestone. It is probably further restricted to the east by increasingly intensive land-use
for agriculture.

The presence of R. ponticum in the area clearly poses a serious problem for
management of commercial forests. Its effects on wildlife depend on the habitat being
invaded. Of the major suitable habitats, heather moorland is unlikely to be seriously
affected — R. ponticum probably becoming just another member of a largely ericaceous
plant community. In very moist sites such as moorland bogs, invasion is severely restricted
due to waterlogging so the problem is minimal (e.g. Reddicar Bog, SK2687). Acidic
grasslands which suffer some grazing pressure seem to be vulnerable to invasion as at
Cordwell. At all sites where grazing livestock are present, there is the potential problem
posed by the toxicity of R. ponticum foliage.

Undoubtedly, woodland habitats are the most threatened by invasion. Relatively
unmanaged or undisturbed woods seem less suitable for regeneration from seed. Managed
amenity/commercial woods such as Stand Wood, Chatsworth, may therefore pose the
major problems. Semi-natural oakwood relics such as at Padley Gorge (SK2579) are also
being invaded. At Padley this is from the introduction at Longshaw, a wood which is both
grazed and suffers severe human disturbance. The abundant, apparently suitable,
regeneration sites may encourage further invasion, but the situation at present appears to
be stable.

The impact of R. ponticum on the local environment is a mixture of harmful and

66 The Introduction, Spread and Current Distribution of Rhododendron ponticum
beneficial effects. Whilst creating problems for woodland management and swamping
existing vegetation, it adds diversity to some areas. The dense scrub which it forms
provides ideal nesting sites for many birds, including regionally rare species such as the
nightingale at Clumber. Many important winter roosts of finches and thrushes are in
extensive R. ponticum beds. The dense cover also provides shelter for mammals such as
badgers which may have their setts within large patches of R. ponticum. In addition, R.
ponticum has considerable amenity value, being very popular for its spectacular displays
of flowers in June (such as at Cordwell and at Errwood). It is very useful in providing
cover, screening and impenetrable protection for areas subject to intense visitor pressure,
such as Chatsworth and Clumber.

It unlikely and also of questionable desirability that R. ponticum will be fully controlled
or eliminated from the area under study. Spread of the species to new sites within the
region should be relatively easy to contain. Control within large areas already infested
may prove impossible except where large amounts of manpower or finance are available.
Key areas to be monitored for signs of further encroachment are the semi-natural
oakwoods and possibly some moorlands. With greater understanding of the ecological
background to the problem, management may be better placed to discourage further
spread. One obvious area in which careful monitoring and control may be useful is the
inadvertent creation of regeneration sites. Intensive management for forestry, grazing or
amenity may well create suitable sites and thus increase the likelihood of further spread by
seed.

Acknowledgements

This work formed part of a PhD research programme in the Department of Botany at the
University of Sheffield.

Thanks are due to all those cited in Table 1. Records and comments were also received
from many individuals, particularly P. A. Ardron, P. Anderson, D. Yalden, E. Wilson,
G. Howe and members of Sorby Natural History Society.

References

Anderson, P. and Shimwell, D. (1981) Wild Flowers and Other Plants of the Peak District.
Moorland Publishing.

Brown, J. M. B. (1953a) The Rhododendron problem in the woodlands of southern
England. Q. Jl. For. 47: 239-53.

Brown, J. M. B. (1953b) Rhododendron ponticum in British woodlands. Rep. Forestry
Res., 42-3.

Clapham, A. R., ed. (1969) Flora of Derbyshire. Museum and Art Gallery, Derby.
Cross, J. R. (1973) The ecology and control of Rhododendron ponticum L. Unpublished
Ph.D. thesis. University of Dublin.

Cross, J. R. (1975) Biological Flora of the British Isles. Rhododendron ponticum L. J.
Ecol. 63: 345-64.

Cross, J. R. (1981) The establishment of Rhododendron ponticum in the Killarney
oakwoods, S. W. Ireland. J. Ecol. 69: 807-24.

Elton, C. S. (1958) The Ecology of Invasions by Animals and Plants. Chapman and Hall,
London.

Fuller, R. M. and Boorman, L. A. (1977) The spread and development of Rhododendron
ponticum L. on dunes at Winterton, Norfolk in comparison with invasion by
Hippophae rhamnoides L. at Saltfleetby, Lincolnshire. Biol. Conserv. 12: 83-94.
Hollick, K. M. and Patrick, S. (1980) Supplement to the Flora of Derbyshire, 1974-79.

Museum and Art Gallery, Derby.

Lees, F. A. (1888) Flora of West Yorkshire. London.

Linton, W. R. (1903) Flora of Derbyshire. London.

Moss, C. E. (1913) Vegetation of the Peak District, Cambridge University Press.

Patrick, S. and Hollick, K. M. (1975) Supplement to the Flora of Derbyshire, 1969-74.
Museum and Art Gallery, Derby.

Obituary 67

Robinson, J. D. (1971) A survey of the occurrence of Rhododendron ponticum L. in the
Cahir District. Internal Document, Forest and Wildlife Service, Dublin.

Robinson, J. D. (1980) Rhododendron ponticum — a weed of woodlands and forest
plantations seriously affecting management. In: Proceedings of Weed Control Confer-
ence, University of Nottingham, pp. 89-96. Association of Applied Biologists, London.

OBITUARY

GEORGE EDWARD HYDE, F.R.E.S.

George Edward Hyde, who died at Doncaster on 15 January 1986 aged 83, was born
locally in 1902 and educated at Doncaster Grammar School; he trained subsequently as a
mechanical engineer at Doncaster Plant Works, where he was employed by the LNER. In
1930 he married Kathleen, enjoying a lifelong and devoted partnership. During the
Second World War he held a post in Doncaster with the Ministry of Supply. His interest
in natural history, particularly entomology, began in boyhood and in 1950 he took up full
time writing and photography.

His early writing was for the Doncaster Chronicle , with regular weekly contributions,
though he subsequently wrote many articles, features, papers and notes for a wide range
of magazines and journals including the Entomologists Record , Entomologist , The
Naturalist , Birds and Country Magazine , Countryman , Country Life , Field , Amateur
Gardening and Practical Gardening. In addition, he was the author of a large number of
books and booklets aimed at school and general circulation, the first of which was a series
for Blacks: A Pocket Book of British Insects (1949), A Pocket Book of British Moths
(1950), British Butterflies (1950) and British Insects (1952). For E. J. Arnold he wrote a
series entitled Though Nature's Window and in 1962 a further series: Exploring Nature.
1959 saw the publication by Hultons of four books in the series Nature's Ways and again
for Hultons in 1963 several booklets in the Educational Series. For Warnes he produced
the Picture Reference Series in 1968. His work for Jarrold and Sons commenced in 1963
with Butterflies in Britain , followed in 1977 by a group of miscellaneous natural history
booklets and included his final work, some of the photographs in the Watch series (1981).
Perhaps his most widely known works were the publications for English Universities Press
in the Teach Yourself Series: Birds , A Primer of Ornithology (1962) and Entomology
(1961). He also coauthored the monograph 'Notes and views on the Purple Emperor
Apatura iris' (1964). Much of this work, in particular that for Jarrold, is accompanied by
his own magnificent photographs, many of which have been extensively used both
internationally and at home, including a recent edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica.

He joined Doncaster Naturalists’ Society in 1917 and he served as the Society’s
President in 1931/2, 1958/62 and by special invitation in 1979/80, its centenary year. He
was also a member of the British Entomological and the Natural History Society, and was
a Fellow of the Royal Entomological Society.

As a practical naturalist he had few equals, for the scope and depth of his knowledge
was enormous and his practical skills great. His life’s work revolved round the study of
lepidoptera and his expertise as a breeder was widely acclaimed. He was particularly
proud of a fine series of the Queen of Spain Fritillary, Issoria lathonia , which he bred from
a female captured in Devon. With characteristic generosity, he disposed of part of this
series to other enthusiasts. He was almost equally proficient as an ornithologist, besides
being thoroughly conversant with botany.

Meticulously set and maintained, his superb collection of insects, particularly lepidop-
tera, is undoubtedly one of the finest yet remaining in private hands and contains
specimens of historic interest, including a magnificent gynandrous example of the
Brimstone butterfly Gonepteryx rhamni and an equally fine specimen of the Common
Blue Polyommatus icarus ab. radiata, both of which are figured in Aberrations of British
Butterflies by A. D. A. Russwurm (1978).

Naturalist 1 1 1 ( 1986)

68 Book Reviews

Among his favourite hunting grounds were Hatfield moors, the Sussex downs and the
Huntingdonshire woods and latterly he grieved much for their progressive destruction, for
his concern for the environment was great. As infirmity overtook him he loved nothing
better than recalling the memories of great days spent in the field in the company of his
many friends and acquaintances, amongst whom were numbered some of the foremost
naturalists of his day, including Dr H. H. Corbett, F. W. Frohawk and Eric Hosking.

George was a man of great compassion and sensitivity, for whom acts of simple kindness
were second nature and it is for these qualities that those closest to him will remember
him. It is an honour to have known George Edward Hyde, friend, gentleman and
naturalist.

To his widow we extend our deepest sympathies.

W. E. RIMINGTON

BOOK REVIEWS

John Cordeaux, Ornithologist by Brian S. Pashby, with a foreword by Bob Spencer. Pp. 86
(including illustrations), plus 8 plates and 2 pocket inserts. Spurn Bird Observatory. 1985.
£4.50, plus 30p postage and packing, from: Spurn Bird Observatory, Kilnsea, Patrington,
Hull HU12 OUG.

John Cordeaux (1831-1899), the renowned Lincolnshire natural historian, was es-
pecially distinguished in the field of ornithology. His main work. Birds of the Humber
District , was published in 1872, but he will largely be remembered for his bird migration
studies, far ahead of their time, which brought him international fame. There is
surprisingly little readily available biographical information on this noteworthy ornithol-
ogist; Brian Pashby’s booklet makes a most creditable attempt to draw together the
various strands of published and unpublished material, and is therefore very welcome.

Pashby makes no claim to have written a definitive biography: in his words, this is ‘an
appreciation from one humble ornithologist to another’. Nonetheless, while accepting th^t
this is essentially a tribute, the material he has assembled is very disorganized and could
easily have been better presented and more logically arranged; the unnumbered plates
(which include a back-to-front facsimile letter and a map and table in a pocket at the end)
are without captions and difficult to cross-reference to the text, and there are far too many
wasteful blank pages. A further disappointment is the appendix, ‘Selection of published
papers by John Cordeaux’; with only a little more research, a rather more comprehensive
bibliography with correct citations could have been compiled, which would have greatly
increased the work’s usefulness.

Despite these criticisms, ornithologists and those with a more general interest in the
history of natural history are indebted to the author for his biographical sketch of
Cordeaux.

MRDS

The Return of the Sea Eagle by John A. Love. Pp. 227, with 84 b/w illustrations.
Cambridge University Press. 1983. £15.00.

The enigmatic title belies the content of this book: it is not a ‘story’ about the apparently
successful re-colonization of this former resident breeding species, but a factual
monograph of the Sea Eagle in the British Isles.

There are chapters on Classification, Distribution, Breeding Biology, Food, Perse-
cution and Decline, Conservation, Reintroduction and Recolonization. I found it just a bit
heavy going, especially as the text is too often broken by references and scientific names
which would have been better in an appendix.

It is easy to criticize and one must acknowledge the amount of research and industry
which has gone into the production, but faults there are nonetheless. Where are the 84

Book Reviews

black and white plates claimed by the publishers? The few photographs are captioned as
figures along with the many line drawings and the statement is thus untrue. At £15, I was
not impressed by the overall result but like so many other specialized books, it is full of
detailed information for those who require it. Certainly not bedtime reading as was
Waterston’s Return of the Osprey.

JRM

Eric Hosking’s Owls by Eric Hosking and Jim Flegg. Pp. 171, with b/w and full-colour
illustrations. Mermaid Books. 1985. Price £7.95.

This handsome paperback celebrates over fifty years of owl photography by the
distinguished naturalist, Eric Hosking. His passion for owls has survived the loss of an eye
to a female tawny owl, and his love of these fascinating birds communicates itself through
a series of excellent photographs, showing a variety of indigenous species in the wild and
some of the more exotic species in captivity.

The accompanying text, written in collaboration with Dr Jim Flegg, includes chapters
on the owl in history, its habitats and breeding habits, and takes a closer look at two
species common in Britain, the tawny owl and Eric Hosking’s own favourite, the barn owl.
Bird photographers will be particularly interested in the index giving details of the
equipment and exposures used for each picture.

The quality of both the illustrations and the text makes this a valuable addition to the
ornithological corpus , in spite of the large number of books on owls already on the
market.

BMD

Country Moods by Phil Drabble. Pp. 183, with 46 black and white photographs. Michael
Joseph. 1985. £9.95.

This is the fifth collection of newspaper articles by Phil Drabble, presenter of the TV
series ‘One Man and His Dog’. The subject matter of each short article is very varied but
somewhat dominated by his passion for dogs; the naturalist is pleasantly surprised by the
occasional gem of original wildlife observation in his own stretch of woodland. His
intimate knowledge of his local countryside has led to familiarity with the shy individual
animals that share the area.

He gives free rein to his views on a variety of topics connected with the countryside,
being unafraid to campaign against government policy on matters such as the extermin-
ation of badgers in the attempt to control bovine TB and the inertia of bureaucrats to
implement the Wildlife and Countryside Act; he also parades his prejudices (a few of
which I share) in favour of the older established order who as farmers and villagers are
responsible for our landscape and country traditions. A very readable book to dip into,
but the serious naturalist will find little in it.

RDH

Millipedes by J. Gordon Blower. Pp. vii + 242, numerous figures, line drawings, tables
and distribution maps. Synopsis of the British Fauna (New Series) No. 35. E. J. Brill/Dr
W. Backhuys for The Linnean Society of London and, The Estuarine and Brackish-Water
Sciences Association. 1985. £20, soft cover.

To those who have waited patiently over the years for this long overdue book by an
internationally recognized authority, whose dedication to accuracy and illustrative detaiUs
second to none, will not be in any way disappointed.

The work, over three times longer than its 1958 predecessor, considerably expands our
knowledge of the millipede fauna of the British Isles and, typical of the author, leaves no
stone unturned. About one quarter of the publication is devoted to the general

Book Reviews

organization and life history, methods of collection, examination and preservation and the
remainder to identification keys and individual descriptions of species with relevant
biological, ecological and distribution data for Europe and the British Isles, the latter
taking the form of maps based on the Watsonian vice-county system. Most importantly the
reproductive organs of each species are fully illustrated, which is essential for accurate
identification. There is an excellent glossary and extensive reference list.

The contribution made by members of the British Myriapod Survey, who have been
carrying out a survey of the millipede fauna of Great Britain for the last 15 years, is
generously acknowledged.

Undoubtedly, this will be the standard work on the subject for years to come and is a
must for the professional, professionally related bodies and libraries. No serious student
or enthusiast should ignore its importance and for once here is a book on a highly
specialized subject which is certainly not beyond the comprehension of the dedicated
amateur. Considering the wealth of its contents and the quality of illustrations it cannot be
classed as overpriced.

DTR

Oxford Surveys in Evolutionary Biology Volume 2, edited by R. Dawkins and M. Ridley.

Pp. 243. Oxford University Press. 1985. £25.00.

The second annual volume of Oxford Surveys in Evolutionary Biology comprises an
Editorial, eight essays by British and American biologists encompassing a very broad
spectrum of topics, and a consolidated index.

The contributions range from those which are verbally comprehensible throughout to
others whose (essential) algebraic components preclude reading for pleasure except by
those fluent in the language. Each essay has a full and up-to-date list of references.

It is invidious to select essays for special attention in a book where standards of
argument and expression are consistently high. However, reflecting the reviewer’s own
interests, it may be excusable to mention two essays in which R. A. Fisher’s concepts, and
the controversy (which began in the 1920s) between Fisher and Sewall Wright are
respectively considered. Historians of science who seek evidence for the value of a
scientific disputation as a spur to research will find it here.

The book is slim, clearly laid out and with an attractive, shiny pictorial cover.

DJH

On the Track of Ice Age Mammals by Antony J. Sutcliffe. British Museum (Natural
History), London. 1985. £12.95.

It almost goes without saying that a substantial book on Pleistocene mammals and
environments, and the techniques developed for unravelling the complex stories behind
both themes, is likely to be a definitive work if it is written, as in this case, by someone
who has been in the Fossil Mammals Section of the British Museum (Natural History) for
more than thirty years, and Head of the Section for well over half of that period.
Sutcliffe’s book is indeed thoroughly readable and superbly illustrated with excellent maps
and diagrams, excellent photographs, both historic and contemporary (the latter the work
mainly of the author himself), and with a completely new series of stunningly beautiful
paintings by Peter Snowball based on Antony Sutcliffe’s reconstructions of the scenery
and environment at various places and stages in the Ice Age. (These paintings are also
available separately from the Museum as large-format postcards.)

In one respect Antony Sutcliffe has been fortunate in that throughout his working life
he has been very much at the centre of things, both nationally and internationally, during
a period which has seen the greatest advances in both fossil mammal studies and the
science of the Quaternary in general since the initial scientific discoveries and interpre-
tations of fossil mammals and the early work on the concept of an Ice Age of the 1820s
through to the early 1860s. The many first-hand contacts (the excellent photographs of

Book Reviews

both Louis Leakey and his Zinjanthropus site were both taken in Olduvai Gorge by the
author in 1960), and his own extensive field research in many parts of the world, are used
subtly but authoritatively in many places through the book.

Because of its breadth of approach, the work is perhaps a little difficult to classify in
bookseller’s terms. I find it hard to believe that any specialist research worker in the fields
of Quaternary studies or fossil mammals could fail both to enjoy and learn much from this
book. Also, as an outstanding introduction not only to Pleistocene fossil mammal studies
on a world-wide basis, but also to fields such as the reconstruction of past environments
from geological evidence, the book is bound to be on every undergraduate and sixth form
reading list for many years to come.

However, in addition it has something for everyone with a general interest in natural
history, perhaps the best evidence of this being the announcement that the Readers Union
group of book clubs has snapped up the title within weeks of its publication.

PJB

The (Almost) Compleat Angler by Timothy Benn. Pp. 96, with numerous black and white
illustrations. Victor Gollancz. 1985. £6.95.

This book will not help the aspiring angler to catch more or even bigger fish. It is for
those who have already enjoyed some years of pitting their wits against an elusive, scaly
quarry, who have endured the tribulations of blizzards in spring, torrential rain on
Midsummer’s Day and been plagued by multitudes of midges in autumn whilst on the
banks of some expanse of water. It is a compendium of pictures, poems, cartoons and
quotations published during the past 500 years which illustrate the joys and heartaches of
the addicted angler. Such a small book cannot be exhaustive and there is an emphasis on
items from out-dated tackle catalogues and old prints, postcards and cigarette cards.
There is more to fishing than just catching fish and this is the book to pick up and enjoy in
midwinter before a warm fire or dip into on a hot summer’s day when even the fish are
lethargic. One can then wallow in nostalgia and indulgently smile at the caricatured
piscator.

Physiological Ecology of Lichens by K. A. Kershaw. Pp. x + 293, including numerous
figures and tables. Cambridge University Press. 1985. £30.00.

Lichens are excellent bioindicators of a wide variety of environmental conditions, being
particularly useful in monitoring ambient air pollution levels. They also show remarkable
physiological adaptations to specific environmental situations; in fact, their robust
qualities as experimental systems in the field of physiological ecology attracted the initial
interest of Professor Kershaw to these plants. Since 1972 there has been a constant flow of
important periodical articles from Kershaw and his co-workers in Canada, mainly on
physiological-environmental interactions, particularly of lichen-dominated systems (about
70 of which are cited in this book). This extensive and stimulating research output has
been collected together in the present volume. Kershaw’s team has not been the only
contributor to lichen eco-physiology: due acknowledgement is made in this book to the
research work of O. L. Lange, J. W. Millbank, D. H. S. Richardson, D. C. Smith and
others, as testified by the excellent bibliography of more than 370 titles.

The whole provides a most readable overview, complemented by a wealth of data,
much of it in the form of figures (174) and tables (7). Topics covered include temperature,
moisture, ionic criteria, nitrogen fixation, photosynthesis, respiration, growth, phenotypic
plasticity, and differential strategies.

Production quality is generally reasonable, but an inferior paper has been employed;
the figures (with the exception of nos. 11, 14 and 78) are clear, although there is a
tendency to crowd too much information onto some of the graphs, and the two plates do
not add materially to the text. A few typographical errors have been noted, and there are

72 Book Reviews

several inconsistencies in the citation of Latin names, e.g. Hypogymnia/Parmelia
physodes.

Many will be delighted to see this long-awaited seminal book finally in print (the preface
is actually dated 1983); it adds very considerably to our understanding of physiological
adaptations not only of lichens, but of plants in general.

MRDS

Seed Physiology by John A. Bryant. Pp. iv + 76, with numerous text figures and tables.
Institute of Biology’s Studies in Biology No. 165. Edward Arnold, 1985. £3.95 paperback.

The book begins with a useful brief description of seeds and their development from
fertilization to maturity. There then follow sections on dormancy, its causes and breakage,
and the processes of germination up to the point where the seedling becomes established
and no longer dependent on the seed. Finally, there are two chapters relating seed
physiology to ecology and agriculture. The former mainly discusses the relation between
dormancy, polymorphism and seed banks and the growth of the seedling under suitable
conditions. The final chapter, the longest in the book, discusses seed longevity, viability
and vigour as it applies to agricultural germination, and the value and improvement of
seeds collected as crops for nutrition or commerce.

This is a good introduction to the subject, with only a few minor errors of typography,
and can be strongly recommended. Its size necessitated much interesting material being
left out, but useful suggestions for further reading are provided. To this list I would add a
recent book by Fenner ( Seed Ecology , 1985, Chapman and Hall), which considers seeds
from a more ecological viewpoint.

WHGH

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July — September 1986 Number 978

A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY FOR THE NORTH OF ENGLAND

Relative Abundance and Foraging Habits of Bombus monticola
on Heather Moorland in North-East Scotland — R. Hews on

The Breeding Birds of a Stretch of the River Tees within the
Moor House National Nature Reserve, Cumbria, 1979-1983

— Paul M. Burnham

A First Look at the Genus Taraxacum in South-East Yorkshire
(VC61) — E. Chicken

Entomological Reports for 1972-1985 — Coleoptera: Part 3,
Staphylinidae (Aleocharinae) — M. L. Denton

Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1985 — H. S.

Pellant and C. Pellant

Published byHh€"Y6rkshire Naturalists' Union

Editor M. R. D. Seaward, MSc. PhD, DSc, FLS, The University, Bradford

The Lepidoptera of Yorkshire

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RELATIVE ABUNDANCE AND FORAGING HABITS OF BOMBUS
MONTICOLA ON HEATHER MOORLAND IN NORTH-EAST SCOTLAND

R. HEWSON

Zoology Department, University of Aberdeen, AB9 2TN

Introduction

This paper considers the relative abundance and foraging behaviour of Bombus monticola
Smith 1849 on heather moorland in Strathdon, Grampian, north-east Scotland, and
compares these with the situation in the Peak District of England as described by Yalden
(1984). The few records of the feeding habits of B. monticola on mountains or moorland
are listed by Yalden (1982). Alford (1975) describes B. monticola as inhabiting mainly the
Vaccinium zone of mountains and moorland, being common in many suitable localities in
Scotland and Wales, and foraging on Vaccinium myrtillus , Erica spp. and Calluna
vulgaris.

On moorland in the Peak District B. monticola queens, emerging in late April, foraged
mainly on V. myrtillus or if this was not yet flowering, on Salix spp. Vaccinium spp.
accounted for most of the foraging by B. monticola in May and June, mostly V. myrtillus
in May and V. vitis-idaea in June. During July plants of the moorland fringe, Lotus
corniculatus and Trifolium repens , accounted for 27 per cent and 29 per cent respectively
of foraging compared with the 28 per cent of foraging on E. cinerea. In August and
September B. monticola again foraged mostly on moorland plants, Calluna vulgaris (43
per cent) and Erica cinerea (34 per cent) in August, V. myrtillus (73 per cent) in
September (Yalden 1984). B. monticola was less numerous on the Peak moorland than
white-tailed bees (Yalden 1983b).

The Study Area

The study area, used principally for work on mountain hares Lepus timidus , extended
from 400 m to 679 m O.D. The underlying soils were largely shallow or undifferentiated
hill peats and drifts derived from granite or from a mixture of acid and basic rocks (Heslop
& Bown 1969). Dry moorland dominated by Calluna vulgaris covered much of the ground
below 550 m with Arctostaphylos uva-ursi on well drained gravelly areas and E. tetralix
and V. vitis-idaea in damper places. V. myrtillus was not common and occurred most
frequently in areas of late snow-lie above 550 m. E. cinerea was also uncommon.

A vegetation map of 250 ha between 400 m and 480 m O.D. was prepared from an
aerial photograph of 1980 which showed most of the boundaries of patches of heather
burned in previous years to provide young shoots for red grouse Lagopus lagopus scoticus
to feed on. The heather was classified into four main phases (Watt, 1955): pioneer (22 per
cent), early building (10 per cent), late building (18 per cent), and mature (37 per cent).
Two further categories, wild grasses (3 per cent) and re-seeded pastures, heavily grazed by
sheep and cattle (11 per cent), held few flowers of interest to bees, and were not included
in counts of bumblebees.

Regeneration after burning (the pioneer and early building phase, 32 per cent of the
study area) was slow, with initial colonization by V. vitis-idaea , E. tetralix , and A.
uva-ursi. E. cinerea , another colonizer of newly burnt areas, was uncommon. These were
superseded in the late building stage by an almost pure stand of C. vulgaris which persisted
through the mature to a degenerate state or to burning. Little burning was carried out
above 550 m and none on the summit. There appeared to be no willows ( Salix spp.) within
5 km, the foraging range of bumblebees as described by Heinrich (1979), and the
moorland fringe contained few or none of the important peripheral food plants of B.
monticola in the Peak District; Ulex europaeus, Rhododendron ponticum , L. corniculatus ,
T. repens and Chamaenerion angustifolium.

In 1985 the study area was divided, for the purpose of counting bumblebees, into a
Lower (400-550 m) and an Upper (above 550 m) part. At 650 m the height of the

Naturalist 111 (1986)

Relative Abundance and Foraging Habits of Bombus monticola

windswept vegetation ranged from 0.5 to 3.0 cm. The composition of this vegetation was
more uniform than at lower altitudes. Twenty 1 m2 quadrats showed it made up of C.
vulgaris (48 per cent), Empetrum nigrum (23 per cent) and A. uva-ursi (19 per cent) with
traces of V. vitis-idaea in half the quadrats sampled.

Sheep grazed the study area, particularly pioneer and early building heather, and the
surrounding moorland from August to October 1983 and 1984 but had no apparent effect
upon the vegetation.

Methods

Bumblebees were counted in the course of other work during 1984 and 1985. A few counts
were also made in 1982. Counts generally continued over 2 hours or more over the same
area and along approximately the same route. This was designed to cover as many patches
as possible of short (pioneer or early building) heather (32 per cent of the vegetation
cover), regenerating after burning, with, in order of abundance, V. vitis-idaea , E. tetralix ,
A. uva-ursi and, more especially on higher ground, V. myrtillus. The proportion of C.
vulgaris increased with years after burning but the majority of the flowering shoots were
grazed by mountain hares (Fig. 1). Few bumblebees foraged on late building or older
heather. The counts were comparable between seasons and between areas. Bees were
counted as they fed or, when flying past nearby and identifiable, as B. monticola or
white-tailed bees. Identifiable white-tailed bees were usually B. magnus or B. lucorum,
which Pekkarinen (1979) considers to be conspecific. B. jonellus, found on heather
moorland elsewhere in north-east Scotland, was not identified on the study area although
it occurred nearby. Bumblebees were absent on many visits to the study area due to
inclement weather.

FIGURE 1

Pattern of burnt areas of heather adjacent to the study area

Relative Abundance and Foraging Habits of Bombus monticola 75

Results

Relative abundance

In both 1984 and 1985 B. monticola out-numbered white-tailed bees throughout the
season (Wilcoxon signed-ranks pairs test (Siegel 1956) T = 2, P = 0.02 for 1984, T = 0,
P = 0.02 for 1985). Peak numbers of B. monticola occurred in late June/early July 1984
and early June 1985 (Tables 1 and 2). There was no spring peak in white-tailed bees but

TABLE 1

Counts of bumblebees on heather moorland at Corgarff in 1984

Date

Bombus monticola

White-tailed bees

23 June

30 June

6 July

14 July

15 July

19 July

22 Aug

15 Sept

16 Sept

there was

an autumn peak in both species in September 1984. In 1985 counts did not

extend beyond July. The spring peak

in B. monticola

was more marked on the high

ground when the numbers of each species are compared (X2 = 9.05, 1 d.f., P < 0.01).

Counts

on 12, 13 and 15 May 1982 again showed

a marked preponderance of B.

monticola ,

a total of 34 against 12 white-tailed bees (binomial test, Z = 3.1, P = 0.001).

TABLE 2

Counts of bumblebees on heather moorland at Corgarff in 1985

Lower (400 i

m-550 m)

Upper (550 m-679 m)

Bombus

White-tailed

Bombus White-tailed

Date

monticola

bees

monticola bees

26 May

27 May

1 June

3 June

52 4

9 June

15 June

21 1

16 June

23 June

16 July

22 July

23 July

Relative Abundance and Foraging Habits o/Bombus monticola

Food plants

The early 1984 peak in B. monticola was associated with feeding on V. vitis-idaea but the
1985 peak with A. uva-ursi (Tables 3 and 4). Foraging on A. uva-ursi was particularly
noticeable on the high ground where it formed a substantial and very obvious part of the
vegetation which, being short due to exposure, may have facilitated foraging. The early
foraging in May 1982 was also on A. uva-ursi , although this was not fully in flower by 13
May 1982. A. uva-ursi had not begun to flower on 14 May 1983.

TABLE 3

Foraging by Bombus monticola and white-tailed bees on moorland in 1984 and 1985

Arctosphylos Vaccinium
uva-ursi vitis-idaea

Erica Erica

tetralix cinerea

Vaccinium

myrtillus

Calluna

vulgaris

B. monticola

1984

48 2

1985 Lower

19 2

1 4

1985 Upper

White-tailed bees

1984

19 10

1985

5 3

TABLE 4

A comparison of foraging by B. monticola in north-east Scotland (present study) and in the

Peak District, England (Yalden 1984)

Main food plants

North-east Scotland

Peak District

April

V. myrtillus

96.7%

Salix spp.

3.4%

May

A. uva-ursi

U. europaeus

18.6%

V. myrtillus

65.3%

V. myrtillus \

[

12.0%

V. vitis-idaea J

June

A. uva-ursi (1982, 1985)

Vaccinium spp.

65.2%

V. vitis-idaea (1984)

Rhododendron

22.6%

July

V. vitis-idaea

L. corniculatus

27.5%

E. tetralix

T. repens

28.9%

E. cinerea

28.2%

August

E. tetralix, E. cinerea

C. vulgaris

43.1%

C. vulgaris

E. cinerea

33.6%

Chamaenerion angustifolium

14.6%

September

E. tetralix

V. myrtillus

73.5%

C. vulgaris

18.4%

Relative Abundance and Foraging Habits of Bombus monticola

There were big differences in the food plants used in the autumn peak of 1984 (Table 5).
B. monticola preferred E. tetralix (X2 = 12.59, 1 d.f., P < 0.001) and V. vitis-idaea
(X2 = 5.08, 1 d.f., P < 0.01) and white-tailed bees chose Calluna (X2 = 10.00, 1 d.f., P <
0.001) and E. cinerea (X2 = 11.37, 1 d.f., P < 0.001).

During the spring peaks in B. monticola white-tailed bees fed on the same species of
moorland plants which were all that were available at the time.

TABLE 5

Foraging by B. monticola and white-tailed bees 15/16 September 1984

V. vitis-idaea

E. tetralix

E. cinerea

C. vulgaris

B. monticola

White-tailed bees

Discussion

While B. magnus/lucorum is widely distributed throughout Britain, B. monticola has a
northern and western distribution (International Bee Research Association/Biological
Records Centre, 1980) which largely coincides with the distribution of V. myrtillus
(Perring & Walters 1962). B. magnus/lucorum appears early and exploits Salix spp. B.
monticola appears later and on moorland exploits V. myrtillus , V. vitis-idaea or A.
uva-ursi , the first in the Peak District, the latter two at Corgarff.

Yalden (1983) considers B. monticola in the Peak District an animal of the moorland
fringe, a description which in Scotland might more correctly be applied to B. magnusl
lucorum. At Corgarff B. monticola more successfully exploited the early flowering
moorland plants than did white-tailed bumblebees, and had an apparently adequate food
supply throughout the season, mainly E. tetralix which was preferred to the more
abundant heather. It appeared particularly well able to forage high on the hill, where it
out-numbered white-tailed bumblebees more sharply than at lower altitudes. In Glen
Clova, Tayside on 4 July 1979 all of 29 bumblebees foraging on V. myrtillus at altitudes
between 800 m and 1000 m were B. monticola (Hewson, unpublished). While B.
monticola may be better able than other species to exploit moorland plants provided that
an early source of food is available to the over-wintered queens, and at Corgarff it was
consistently more abundant than white-tailed bumblebees, white-tailed bees may be able
to exploit a wider range of moorland situations. In north-west Scotland on low-altitude
moorland dominated by Trichophorum heath and C. vulgaris, they foraged on Salix in
April, Ilex aquifolium in May, Iris pseudacorus in June and Erica spp. and C. vulgaris
thereafter (Hewson 1979). B. monticola was absent. On heather moorland in Yorkshire
B. lucorum was much more abundant than B. pascuorum on E. tetralix and C. vulgaris,
the main food plants (Hewson & Walsh 1981). B. monticola was again absent. The
common factor in these two moorland areas was the virtual absence of V. myrtillus, V.
vitis-idaea and A. uva-ursi, the main early food plants of B. monticola. Salix apparently
will not suffice for this purpose for B. monticola.

At Corgarff B. monticola was consistently more abundant than white-tailed bumble-
bees; in the Peak District the reverse was the case.

In the Peak District B. monticola relied largely upon Vaccinium spp. until mid-June
when they ceased to flower. Despite some foraging (28 per cent) on E. cinerea, plants of
the moorland fringe L. corniculatus (28 per cent) and T. repens (29 per cent) were much
used in July. In August C. vulgaris came into flower and provided the main food source
(43 per cent) in that month before a massive return to foraging on V. myrtillus in
September (Yalden 1984). At Corgarff, on the other hand, there was no gap in flowering
of moorland plants, and no moorland fringe plants were available. E. tetralix was common

Relative Abundance and Foraging Habits of Bombus monticola

and available throughout the summer; it was preferred by B. monticola to C. vulgaris.
Also, as Yalden (1984) suggests, white-tailed bees may be less able to feed from the small
pendulous flowers of V. vids-idaea than the smaller B. monticola queens and workers. The
suggestion by the same author that B. monticola is in some ways morphologically and/or
physiologically adapted to V. myrdllus does not accord with its relative abundance at
Corgarff where this plant is uncommon, but does not rule out the possibility that B.
monticola may be better adapted to feed on A. uva-ursi (absent from the Peak District),
V. vids-idaea and E. tetralix or that it is better adapted to montane conditions e.g. by
having a hairier body and being a stronger flier. Welch (1974) refers to B. monticola and
B. jonellus as strong fliers visiting flowers in exposed windy places in the Cairngorms.

The shift in foraging from moorland to moorland fringe by B. monticola in the Peak
District may place it at a disadvantage compared with the more versatile white-tailed
bumblebees and may provide the likeliest explanation for the difference in relative
abundance compared with B. monticola at Corgarff, which enjoys a continuum of
flowering plants on the moorland and where there is neither moorland fringe nor Salix.

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to Dr G. R. Miller and Mrs P. E. Yalden for helpful comments on the
manuscript.

References

Alford, D. V. (1975) Bumblebees. Davis Poynter, London.

Heinrich, B. (1979) Bumblebee Economics . Harvard University Press, London.

Heslop, R. E. F. and Bown, C. V. (1969) The Soils of Candacraig and Glenbuchat.

Macaulay Institute for Soil Research, Aberdeen.

Hewson, R. (1979) Foraging by bumblebees ( Bombus spp.) on Heathland in North-west
Scotland. Glasgow Nat. 19: 489-494.

Hewson, R. and Walsh, S. T. (1981) Food availability and foraging by bumblebees
{Bombus spp.) and honeybees {Apis mellifera) at Strensall Common, Yorkshire.
Naturalist 106: 133-139.

International Bee Research Association/Biological Records Centre (1980) Atlas of the
Bumblebees of the British Isles. Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Abbots Ripton.
Pekkarinen, A. (1979) Morphometric, colour and enzyme variation in bumblebees
(Hymenoptera, Apidae, Bombus) in Fennoscandia and Denmark. Acta zool. fenn. 158:
1-60.

Perring, F. H. and Walters, S. M. (1962) Atlas of the British Flora. Thomas Nelson,
London.

Siegel, S. (1956) Nonparametric Statistics for the Behavioural Sciences. McGraw-Hill, New
York.

Watt, A. S. (1955) Bracken versus heather, a study in plant sociology. J. Ecol. 43:
490-506.

Welch, C. (1974) Insects and other invertebrates. In The Cairngorms , Nethersole-
Thompson & Watson. Collins, London.

Yalden, P. E. (1982) Pollen collected by the bumblebee Bombus monticola in the Peak
District, England. J. Nat. Hist. 16: 823-832.

Yalden, P. E. (1983a) Foraging population size and distribution of Bombus monticola in
the Peak District, England. Naturalist 108: 139-147.

Yalden, P. E. (1983b) The pollen collected by Bombus lucorum (L.) (Hym., Apidae) in
the Peak District, England. Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 119: 105-109.

Yalden, P. E. (1984) Flower visits by Bombus monticola Smith (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in
the Peak District, England. Ent. Gazette 35: 235-242.

THE BREEDING BIRDS OF A STRETCH OF THE RIVER TEES WITHIN
THE MOOR HOUSE NATIONAL NATURE RESERVE, CUMBRIA,

1979-1983

PAUL M. BURNHAM

Nature Conservancy Council , Llwyn Axvel, Talybont, Dyfed SY24 5EQ
Introduction

Moor House National Nature Reserve covers over 4000 hectares of remote moorland in
the northern Pennines and is situated just south of Cross Fell, 893 m O.D., the highest
point in the Pennines. The Reserve has an altitude range from 550 m O.D. to 847 m O.D.
The summit ridges of Great Dun Fell, 847 m O.D., and Little Dun Fell, 842 m O.D.,
form a natural barrier dividing the Reserve into two. The western escarpment falls steeply
away, dissected by deep valleys with swift running streams. The ground to the east falls
gently away, with slower running streams dissecting a large area of blanket bog. The area
in which the survey was carried out forms the watershed for the River Tees.

Since the Reserve was established in 1952, daily observations have confirmed that it
supports a good mixed population of breeding birds associated with large areas of the
northern Pennines. The upland birds of Britain and their populations are poorly
documented because, as Fuller (1982) describes, they are difficult to census as much of the
uplands is inaccessible and some species can easily be overlooked. This more detailed
survey was undertaken to determine the breeding bird population of a stretch of the River
Tees in order that future trends in species populations, resulting from management or
natural factors, can be monitored.

Survey Method

The survey was carried out using the British Trust for Ornithology Waterways Bird
Survey, which employs the territory mapping method (Williamson 1977). Although
principally designed to record riparian species, I have included Dunlin and Golden Plover
in this survey.

This mapping technique was used with observations being plotted on successive visits
during the breeding season. The resulting registrations were analysed by BTO to give
evidence of the number and extent of occupied territories.

The 5 km section of river was walked at regular intervals from April to July during the
five survey years from 1979 to 1983. The number of walks varied between eight and ten in
each survey year; a similar number of walks was aimed at in each season in order that
yearly results could be compared. Visits were made at all times of the day but mostly
during the mornings and, where possible, the days with the best weather were chosen. The
route was walked mostly from south to north but varied occasionally. The time taken
varied between 1.5 and 2 hours.

I was living on the Reserve at Moor House from 1977 to 1980 and, during that period,
spent many hours in the field keeping daily records of bird activities. I have used these
additional observations throughout this report to give a more complete picture of the
breeding habits of birds found here and factors influencing breeding results.

Study Area

The stretch of river surveyed is part of the upper catchment of the River Tees, which
forms part of the northern and eastern boundary of the nature reserve. The river passes
through moorland dominated by Calluna vulgaris , Eriophorum spp. and Sphagnum
blanket bog which in places abuts the water’s edge, sometimes forming steep peat banks of
up to 3 m in depth. Mixed coarse grasslands of Nardus stricta and J uncus squarrosus form
swards on the shallower peat, especially on the steeper banks. In other areas where
drainage is poor, sizeable wet flushes occur beside the river, forming good cover with
Juncus effusus , various Carex and Sphagnum spp. J. effusus also forms strips and clumps

Naturalist 111 (1986)

The Breeding Birds of a Stretch of the River Tees

along the many streams and waterways that empjy into the river’s course, often extending
in a band along the river edge. Species rich mixed grassland of various Agrostis spp. and
Festuca spp. occurs on the alluvial edges of the river and on some of the islands, while
some islands are of a coarse, mat grass and heath rush mixture.

The Reserve differs from the surrounding fells in that it is grazed by sheep during the
summer months only. The harsh winter climate and remoteness of the area prevent all
year round grazing. Sheep numbers are also generally low and the stocking rate is
estimated at one sheep per 0.44 ha (Rawes & Hobbs 1979) although numbers on the
blanket bog areas are normally found to be considerably lower. Sheep are known to be
selective feeders, preferring the grasslands and patches of sweet grass on the alluvial areas
and reducing these to a fine short sward. The light grazing of the heather results in a
heavier crop than on similar fells. Although a managed and keepered grouse moor for
over 100 years, no management other than irregular burning of small areas for
experimental purposes has been carried out and the moor has remained unshot for over 40
years.

River Section

This stretch of the river is gently sloping, running from Tees Bridge, 530 m O.D., a
distance of 5 km to Cow Green Reservoir at 490 m O.D. Normally slow running and
shallow during summer months, it is subject to spate conditions which can transform it
into a deep, rapid torrent. The width of the river channel is fairly constant, varying
between 10 and 20 m, but occasionally, where it has been divided into separate channels
with islands, it has been enlarged. One group of small islands is 30 m wide and another
over 50 m. During the summer, however, the water table is low and the stream only
occupies approximately half of this channel. The river bed is made up of fairly even sized
shingle with rocks becoming much larger and boulder-like towards Cow Green Reservoir.
This shingle has been pushed up to form borders to some islands and large shingle banks
have been exposed on some bends. The small islands that occur change shape and size
annually due to erosion and shingle movement.

The river banks are mainly shallow sided except occasionally where the deep peat (up to
3 m) has been eroded to the water’s edge. No fringe or channel vegetation of any
significance occurs along the entire survey area.

Bird Communities

The topography of the area is of gently contoured moorland dissected by winding, narrow
water courses and erosion channels leading into the River Tees. Blanket bog covers most
of the area, with a good covering of heather which supports a fluctuating population of
Red Grouse, at times with high densities. Meadow Pipits, however, are the most abundant
species occurring over the Reserve. Occasional outcrops of limestone occur, forming
islands within the blanket bog, these areas becoming larger on the higher ground. Golden
Plovers breed in these areas in good numbers and are also found on the sub-alpine
grassland of the summit ridges. Curlews and Snipe are found scattered sporadically over
the area, breeding in the wet, rushy areas whilst wetter conditions on the higher ground,
particularly areas containing small pools, attract small numbers of Dunlins to breed.
Whilst Peregrine, Kestrel and Buzzard are recorded over the Reserve, no cliffs or trees
are available for nesting; however. Short-eared Owls and Merlins breed in the heather. It
would seem an ideal habitat for Hen Harriers but singles are only recorded passing
through in the spring and autumn. Watson (1977) records nest sites as common at
elevations of between 150 and 400 m O.D. in Britain and in Wales commonly recorded
between 375 and 600 m O.D.; an inadequate food supply at the high elevations is thought
to be the main reason for lack of nesting and this would seem to be the prime reason at
Moor House. The Merlin feeds almost exclusively on Meadow Pipits, but latterly a
number of small experimental tree plantations of mainly coniferous species have grown up
and attracted a number of small passerines which the Merlin has been quick to exploit as
an additional food source. Ring Ouzels and Whinchats are two species known to have

The Breeding Birds of a Stretch of the River Tees

bred in these plantations, the Ring Ouzel otherwise only found in very small numbers.
The Whinchat is found exclusively in or near these plantations. Dunnocks, Redpolls,
Blackbirds and Willow Warblers are some of the species known to have bred in these
plantations but are uncharacteristic of the area and have nested on single occasions only.
A number of mine ruins with rocky spoil heaps are dotted throughout the area and
occasionally Wheatears and Ring Ouzels breed in these. Ducks only occur in small
numbers, with Teal being found well into the blanket bog on quite small water courses but
Mallards tend to be found near the main river. Waders such as Redshank, Oystercatcher
and Lapwing are generally found along the main river system but Common Sandpipers
can frequently be found feeding in the small streams and will sometimes nest away from
the main water course. Dippers, too, will feed almost to the source of the smallest stream
but nests are always found on the main river system. Black-headed Gulls are commonly
found patrolling the river and surrounding moorland.

Species Recorded Breeding (see also Table 1)

Anas crecca (Teal)

More common than the Mallard over the Reserve with 10-15 pairs present. Six pairs were
found breeding on the survey area during 1980, 1982 and 1983 but, like the Mallard, a
dramatic drop occurred during 1979 and 1981 when only three pairs bred. Pairs recorded
arriving on their breeding areas during the middle of April. Broods of fairly young chicks
(5-10 days) recorded from the middle of June. All nests found have been in heather and
always some distance from water (Parkin 1977).

Anas platyrhynchos (Mallard)

Only small numbers, less than ten pairs, occur on the Reserve. A maximum of four pairs
were found breeding on the survey area during the years 1980, 1982 and 1983 and only one
pair during 1979 and 1981. A drop in numbers was also recorded during these years for
Teal. First pairs recorded in early March, occasionally earlier during mild spells. Main egg
lay seems to occur in early May.

Mergus merganser (Goosander)

Up to three pairs present in some years. The first evidence of breeding recorded on the
Reserve in 1975 (Parkin 1977). A pair usually present during the middle of April. Two
pairs in 1979, but often recorded earlier during mild spells. Recorded breeding on the
Reserve in 1979 when a brood of a few days old were seen on 4.7. Well grown juveniles
were recorded in the following years on 23 June 1980 and 9 July 1981. Two pairs were
present in 1982 and 1983 but no evidence of breeding was found. The nesting site has not
been found but the species probably breeds in rabbit holes or old disused mine entrances
along the river bank.

Haematopus ostralegus (Oystercatcher)

This species is increasing in the area and breeding numbers have risen dramatically since
1977 when only one or two pairs were recorded along the Tees (Parkin 1977). The number
of territories has risen on the section surveyed from three in 1979 to seven in 1983. Singles
sometimes occurred in late March but pairs were not usually recorded on their breeding
ground until mid-April. Nests found have been on shingle banks or islands which are
vulnerable to river spate. This species also seems vulnerable to nest predation and only
three young are known to have fledged successfully during the five years of the survey. A
number of non-breeding birds are always recorded along the river during the breeding
season.

Pluvialis apricaria (Golden Plover)

Breeds in good numbers on suitable ground on the Reserve and is found at high densities
on nearby Bellbeaver Rigg. Numbers have fluctuated along the survey route between
three pairs and one pair. Birds return to the fell at the first onset of mild weather and
individuals can be heard displaying in February as the snow retreats. Storms, however.

82 The Breeding Birds of a Stretch of the River Tees

usually push them back down to lower ground at this early date, the main body not
arriving until the middle of March to April. A wide variation in dates for nesting has been
recorded, caused by the fluctuations of the weather. Nests found beside the river have
been in coarse grassland containing patches of lichen and stones.

Vanellus vanellus (Lapwing)

A fairly common species occurring along the Tees during 1979 and 1980 when nine and ten
pairs were recorded respectively. A large decrease was recorded in 1981 when blizzards in
late April pushed all Lapwing down from the Reserve to lower altitudes; only three pairs
returned but did not breed. Numbers recovered slightly in 1982 to six breeding pairs but
did not increase the following year when only five pairs were recorded. Flocks start to
move through in February and birds can be seen displaying over their breeding territories
during March and early April. Clutches can be complete before the end of April, although
the bulk of eggs are probably laid towards the end of the month and the beginning of May.
Nests are made on islands with shingle and patchy grassland, or beside the water on
coarse, grassy swards. The nests on the islands are prone to river spate but with early
nesting, eggs can be lost to snow cover and frost damage.

Gallinago gallinago (Snipe)

An uncommon species over the Reserve and little information is known of their breeding
habits at this altitude. I have found a nest containing three eggs at 600 m O.D. and
another was found at 640 m O.D. (Parkin 1977). It is interesting to note that Parkin
recorded Snipe as the commonest wader visiting the Reserve between the years 1956 and
1977. Only single pairs held territory during the survey in 1980 and 1982 and, even
allowing for observer bias, this would indicate a substantial drop in numbers visiting the
Reserve to breed. Birds recorded in mild periods in March. One was heard drumming
over the river on 24 March 1980 but most records occur from mid April onwards.

Tringa totanus (Redshank)

Small numbers are regularly found along the Tees during the breeding season. Numbers
seem fairly stable along the survey route, varying between four and five territories, with a
peak of seven in 1980. Singles recorded in mild weather at the end of March but main
arrival from the middle of April onwards. This species seems to be at its altitude limits for
breeding (‘up to 1500 ft’, Witherby et al. 1941-1965) and was certainly badly affected by
the storms in late April 1981.

Actitis hypoleucos (Common Sandpiper)

This species is by far the most numerous wader on the water courses throughout the
Reserve. Numbers have been constant on the survey with 15 pairs in 1979, 16 in 1980 and
1981, but dropping significantly to 11 in 1982, recovering to 19 pairs in 1983. This fall and
rise in numbers followed the national trend for this species as indicated in the British Trust
for Ornithology Waterways Bird Survey results for 1982-1983 (Taylor & Marchant 1983).
This is the last wader to arrive on the river, with singles usually recorded in early April.
Earliest recorded 5 April 1980, the main breeding populations arriving at the beginning of
May. Common Sandpiper therefore miss the vagaries of the weather during the early
months and avoid egg loss due to chilling but, although the well concealed nests usually
escape detection by predators, predated nests are occasionally found. Three adults were
recorded killed by a Peregrine during the survey.

Larus ridibundus (Black-headed Gull)

Regularly recorded over the Reserve and along the River Tees during the spring and
summer period. Numbers seen quartering the river for food during most visits were
between 30 and 40 birds but, at favoured resting and bathing places, up to 300 were seen
on 14 June 1981. Birds hunt the area during crane-fly and may-fly hatch and many pellets
have been found containing fly remains, but it is also thought the gulls supplement their
diet with eggs, when available. In 1983 the colony at Cow Green was unable to nest on
their usual island as it remained submerged and they moved to a shingle bank on the Tees

The Breeding Birds of a Stretch of the River Tees 83

near Little Dodgen Pot where 95 nests containing eggs were counted. The colony was
raided on several occasions by foxes and most chicks were killed.

Motacilla alba (Pied Wagtail)

Good numbers pass through the area in spring but few stay to breed. A pair nested in the
Tees bridge stonework in 1980. Two pairs were present in 1982. This stretch of river with
its gradual sloping banks is not ideal for nesting sites.

Cinclus cinclus (Dipper)

Numbers remain constant on the survey route with between three and four territories held
in every year except 1982 when only two pairs were found. This decline was thought to be
due to the very dry, hot spring which reduced the water level in the streams dramatically,
with some of the small water courses drying up completely. Nests found being built on 30
April 1979, 26 May 1981 and another on 14 June 1981. The late dates would probably
involve replacement nests from earlier failures or, in a year with an early spring, such as
1981, the start of a second clutch. Most nest sites are on the underside of eroded peat
banks and a pair regularly nest under the single bridge that occurs on the route.

Numenius arquata (Curlew)

A fairly common bird throughout the river basin area with fairly stable numbers. Numbers
peaking in 1980, however, giving a maximum of five territories along the route compared
with three pairs in 1981 and two pairs in all other years surveyed. Can occur in late March
but the bulk of breeding birds arrive in the middle of April. Nests in the shallow, boggy
valleys containing good clumps of Juncus effusus leading down to the waterside and also in
heather along the river banks.

TABLE 1

Number of species and territories present during the River Tees survey 1979-1983

Species Present

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

Grey Heron

Teal

Mallard

Goldeneye

Goosander

Oystercatcher

Ringed Plover
Golden Plover

Lapwing

Snipe

Curlew

Redshank

Common Sandpiper

Dunlin

Black-headed Gull

Yellow Wagtail

Grey Wagtail

Pied Wagtail

Dipper

Total Species Recorded

Species Holding Territory

Number of Territories

53 ( + 95

Black-

headed

Gulls)

Indicates species present but not breeding.

84 The Breeding Birds of a Stretch of the River Tees

Species Present but not Breeding
Ardea cinerea (Grey Heron)

Regular visitor to the Reserve in small numbers. Occasional records of birds fishing,
especially when water levels are low.

Bucephala clangula (Goldeneye)

This species was recorded on the Reserve for the first time during the course of the survey.
A male was present on the river on 14 May 1982 but not recorded after this date.

Charadrius hiaticula (Ringed Plover)

This species is known to occur regularly in small numbers on the lower reaches of the Tees
but has only been recorded on the Reserve on two occasions. A pair were recorded on a
small shingle bar on 23 May 1983. The female was sitting in a fresh scrape and the male
was nearby, but no further sightings of these birds occurred during the 1983 survey.

Calidris alpina (Dunlin)

Infrequently seen over the Reserve and rarely recorded from the river. A single bird
recorded on the survey route was perhaps a breeding bird from nearby Bellbeaver Rigg,
where they are known to breed.

Motacilla fiava (Yellow Wagtail)

Passage birds usually recorded but a male was present on the river on 10 May 1982.
Known to breed at lower altitudes locally.

Motacilla cinerea (Grey Wagtail)

Small numbers recorded passing through on passage but good habitat for breeding does
not occur along this stretch of river. Known to breed at lower altitudes locally.

For a list of other species recorded during the survey, see Appendix 1.

Discussion

Weather Conditions and Effect on Breeding

Due to the generally severe winter conditions, spring usually comes late to the river at this
altitude. Species such as Lapwings, Golden Plovers and Mallards are often recorded when
snow lies in March over their intended breeding area. (Dippers, too, are on their breeding
ground and with the first signs of warmer weather, nest building begins.) A hard winter
can prolong the thaw and retard the breeding season by swelling the river during snow
melt, thereby reducing the area of river edge for feeding or size of shingle bank for
breeding.

High water is always a threat, either from rapid thaw of snow from high ground or
torrential rain in midsummer. River edges and islands are covered, swamping out the
ground nesting birds and sweeping away Dipper nests from the underside of banks. The
weeks in April are often critical for breeding birds at this altitude; should the weather
change as the eggs are laid they can be lost to snow and frost damage. An example of this
occurred in 1981 when blizzards struck on 24 and 27 April. First clutches were lost and the
birds moved off to lower ground, some not returning to breed again in that year. The
breeding season lasts for a very short period at this altitude and the majority of birds have
departed from these stretches of the river by mid-July, with only a few stragglers being
recorded towards the end of the month.

Nest Predation and Predators

Nests commonly found predated during the course of the survey were Lapwings and
Oystercatchers, with single records of Common Sandpipers and Redshanks. Eggs were
found away from the nests and appeared to be the work of avian predators. Crows were
rarely recorded along this stretch but Black-headed Gulls were common and regularly
recorded quartering the river. Up to 300 were counted on 14 June 1981 . The Black-headed
Gull is known to take eggs of its own and other species, including Lapwing (Witherby et al.

The Breeding Birds of a Stretch of the River Tees

1941-1965) and it would seem likely they are the main predators along this stretch,
although this was never verified. Two colonies of Black-headed Gulls exist nearby, which
could have had an influence on the success of birds breeding in this area.

Two Ravens were recorded hunting the river and surrounding area on one date during
the four-year survey. Peregrines were seen following the river on several dates and three
Common Sandpipers were found killed by these falcons. Snipe, Golden Plovers and
Redshanks are species regularly found at Peregrine breeding sites in the northern
Pennines. Merlin have been recorded taking Pied Wagtails and an adult Dunlin was killed
by one in 1982. Short-eared Owls were regularly recorded hunting along all stretches of
the river in every year but only small mammal remains were found in their pellets when
analysed.

Foxes are known to have raided the Black-headed Gull colony on the Tees in 1983,
killing many chicks, and are known to follow the river’s course regularly throughout the
breeding period. Occasional sitting birds or chicks are probably taken by this predator but
no further evidence was found to support this during the survey.

Re -seeded Area

In 1978 a local farmer carried out improvement operations to an adjoining area of the fell
within 100 metres of the river. Operations involved the removal of natural vegetation
(burnt off by herbicide spraying), drainage of the area before rotovating, fertilizing, and
seeding with grass species, some of which were of a lowland type. The establishment was
slow at first, with much of the topsoil being washed away in the first years, but subsequent
re-seeding is proving more successful. The area is becoming established as a grassland,
albeit patchy and bare in places, and poor compared with grassland at lower altitudes.

This has had a noticeable effect on the breeding birds of the area, in particular the
Lapwing. Lapwings have deserted their usual breeding area along the river and nested in
this field in increasing numbers. None was recorded breeding here in 1979 but four pairs
bred here in 1983. Despite this additional breeding habitat, numbers for the survey route
show a drop since 1979 (Table 2). They are clearly showing a preference for breeding in

TABLE 2

Lapwing breeding territories

Re-seeded Area

River

Total

1979

1980

1981

(severe winter)

1982

1983

this type of habitat. Lapwings are known to breed in ‘loose neighbourhood groups and less
often solitary’ (Cramp & Simmons 1983) and this field provides the ideal conditions.

Redshanks and Golden Plovers are regular visitors here to feed, as are small gatherings
of non-breeding Oystercatchers.

Summary

A five-year survey carried out along a 5 km stretch of the river Tees using the British Trust
for Ornithology Waterways Bird Survey method showed that a total of twelve species held
territory during 1979-1983. A further four species, Grey Heron, Goldeneye, Yellow
Wagtail and Grey Wagtail, were also recorded as present but not breeding. A maximum
total of 60 territories were held in 1980, Common Sandpipers being the most abundant
birds in any one year, with 19 territories recorded in 1983.

The Breeding Birds of a Stretch of the River Tees

The climate, particularly in spring at the onset of breeding, appears to play an important
part both in regulating the number of pairs present and time of egg laying. Nests were
found predated, presumably by Black-headed Gulls and this had influenced the breeding
success rate, especially for species such as the Lapwing and Oystercatcher. Although other
predators were present and occasional adults were killed, this was thought not to have had
any significant impact on the breeding population.

An area close to the survey route had been improved and sown to grassland. This area,
whilst attracting certain species, especially the Lapwing, does not appear to have had any
significant effect on the number of birds breeding along the river at present.

The Black-headed Gull has been excluded from this summary to reflect the norm as this
colony has not bred on the river before during the 30 years as a National Nature Reserve.

Acknowledgements

I thank Dr K. Taylor, British Trust for Ornithology, for carrying out the analysis of the
mapping method and Peter Stuttard, Nature Conservancy Council, for helpful advice on
earlier drafts of this paper.

References

Cramp, S. and Simmons, K. E. L. (1983) Handbook of the Birds of Europe, the Middle
East and North Africa. Oxford University Press, Oxford.

Fuller, R. J. (1982) Bird Habitats in Britain. Poyser, Calton.

Parkin, J. (1977) Aspects of the ecology of the Northern Pennines. Occasional Paper No
10, Moor House N.N.R.

Rawes, M. and Hobbs, R. (1979) Management of semi-natural blanket bog in the
Northern Pennines. J. Ecol. 67: 789-807.

Taylor, K. and Marchant, J. (1983) Population changes of waterways birds 1981-1982.

Waterways Bird Survey News.

Watson, D. (1977) The Hen Harrier. Poyser, Calton.

Williamson, K. (1977) A waterways bird study in Britain and Ireland. Pol. Ecol. Study 3:
229-236.

Witherby, H. F., Jourdain, F. C. R., Tichehurst, N. F. and Tucker, B. W. (1941-1965)
The Handbook of British Birds. Witherby, London.

APPENDIX 1

List of other species recorded during the survey 1979-1983

Buzzard Buteo buteo
Peregrine Falco peregrinus
Merlin Falco columbarius
Kestrel Falco tinnunculus
Red Grouse Lagopus scoticus
Lesser Black-backed Gull

Swallow Hirundo rustica
House Martin Delichon urbica
Raven Corvus corax
Carrion Crow Corvus corone
Rook Corns frugitegus
Ring Ouzel Turdus torquatus
Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe
Whinchat Saxicola rubetra
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis
Starling Sturnus vulgaris

Larus fuscus

Herring Gull Larus argentatus
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus
Swift Apus apus
Skylark Alanda arvensis

A FIRST LOOK AT THE GENUS TAR AX A CUM IN SOUTH-EAST
YORKSHIRE (VC61)

E. CHICKEN

The publication of Richards’s Taraxacum flora of the British Isles in 1972, together with
his willingness to identify specimens, afforded a way into the maze of dandelion
‘microspecies’ for the field botanist. Even if the ensuing enthusiasm was for some no more
than the collecting instinct, still a major route into an interest in natural history, it was a
step towards the understanding of the plants and their distribution in Scandinavia and
elsewhere.

Unfortunately, though perhaps not surprisingly, ideas about the taxonomy of
Taraxacum , whether it be the treatment of sections, numbers of species or synonymy, are
extremely fluid. The 132 species of Richards’s work are now 244 in the list of Haworth and
Rundle dated 1 January 1986. The non-expert is still in the position of being reliant on a
referee for identification since there is no completely satisfactory dichotomous or other
key available. This is in addition to dealing with the extreme phenotypic plasticity of the
leaves which means that juvenile plants, those in shaded or other extreme situations and
those flowering outside the first flowering period of April and May in this area, are often
useless for identification. All these points are dealt with at length in Richards’s Flora.

The writer of this list collected dandelions in East Yorkshire as time and the weather
permitted mainly from 1973 to 1981 when a spell of ill-health and other factors intervened.
With plants as plentiful as dandelions it cannot be claimed that the whole vice-county has
been looked at systematically or that distribution has been studied on a statistical basis.
However, it is felt that it may be of interest to anyone taking up the pursuit to have a list of
the species discovered so far by one person and some comment on locations.

Dandelions of the Section Erythrosperma, with finely dissected leaves, corniculate
outer bracts and achenes that have, with the exception of T. simile in this area, a
reddish-brown tinge or darker colour, are plants of well drained habitats. The majority of
the finds listed below have been found on the chalk of the Wolds and the limestone in the
north-west of the vice-county. Of particular interest is the presence of five species on the
earthworks at Langton and such sites which are protected to some extent are worth
examining. The commonest species of the section are T. brachyglossum and T. oxoniense.
The first of these, unlike the majority of dandelions, can reproduce sexually and presumed
hybrids occur along the canal at Driffield where the chalk of the raised banks is adjacent to
wet meadow land favoured by species of the other sections. Other areas for this section
are the narrow belt of sandy soil along the northern edge of the Wolds and the band of
Jurassic sands to the west. The vice-county does not possess links or dunes and the sands
at Spurn have so far afforded only T. oxoniense. Ashy ground of the old Hull Docks has
given T. simile and T. argutum.

Species of the Section Obliqua are found in mainly Scottish coastal areas and sand
dunes and are quite unlikely to be present in VC 61. Those of Section Palustria are
extremely rare in Britain, but since they are species of hay meadows and fens, and a few
such habitats still remain in East Yorkshire, one lives in hope.

Section Spectabilia as now understood is represented in this area by T. spectabile. All
six sites on which I have found it are wet meadows or pasture watered by streams coming
from the chalk. This plant usually has at least a few purple blotches on the leaves whereas
those of the next section are markedly blotched. They are T. euryphyllum and T.
pseudolarssonii in Section Naevosa. The former seems also to favour sites with a basic
water supply, but not so wet as those of T. spectabile whilst the latter, a plant of northern
distribution, has been found in Holderness and particularly on the carrs north of the
Wolds at Folkton.

Our commonest species of Section Celtica is T. raunkiaeri which occupies a variety of
habitats from meadow to churchyard wall top at Foston-on-the-Wolds, usually well
drained, thus reminding one that it was previously placed in Section Vulgaria. By contrast

Naturalist 111 (1986)

88 A First Look at the Genus Taraxacum in South-East Yorkshire

the other members of Section Celtica prefer wet meadows. Section Hamata is one of the
easiest to determine as a whole because the petioles and midribs are very finely striated
with green and purple, though this applies to some Celtica species. The individual
members are not always easy to distinguish. Most can be found on roadside verges, T.
hamatum being one of the commonest lowland dandelions.

The remaining dandelion species belong to the large Section Vulgaria. They occupy a
variety of sites though probably the commonest and most obvious is that of roadside
verges. T. aurosulum is one that can often be picked out fairly easily because of the large
capitula, 60-70 mm across. T. ancistrolobum is interesting in that it is easily recognized on
rather bare roadsides by its few low-lying dull leaves with very few large broad leaf-lobes,
yet it dominated a meadow by the R. Derwent near Menethorpe and there exhibited
bright green upright growth.

Other examples of a single species being virtually the only dandelion apparently present
are meadows near Bishop Wilton and Hunmanby with T. brachyglossum and T.
lacistophyllum respectively and a cliff top at Barmston with T. sellandii. It would be good
to discover whether this is due to human activity such as re-seeding pasture or a more
natural phenomenon.

From the list given below it will be seen that a few sites are particularly rich in species.
The water meadows near Melbourne have at least seven species and the meadows that are
winter flooded near Withernwick may prove as fruitful. The carrs such as those at Folkton
are also worth close examination. All in all the species of dandelions present can give a
good indication of land that is botanically interesting, some of which might be well worth
the consideration of conservationists.

Species List

The following list is compiled from sheets in the writer’s herbarium. All records prior to
1983 were determined or confirmed by Dr A. J. Richards. Those collected subsequently
and a few earlier ones were determined or confirmed by Mr C. C. Haworth as also were
some species where taxonomic concepts had changed over the years. Grid references to
1 km squares are given without the initial letters since confusion cannot arise, e.g.
Stillingfleet 59/41, the most westerly, is SE 594410 and Spurn 41/12 is Spurn Point TA
410120, the most easterly.

TARAXACUM Weber

Section ERYTHROSPERMA (R. Lindberg fil.) Dahlstedt

Throughout this section the habitat is well drained grassland on chalk or limestone unless

otherwise stated.

T. argutum Dahlst. Hull docks 09/28 on ashes, 1979.

T. brachyglossum (Dahlst.) Raunk. Bishop Wilton 80/54, 1975; Scampston 85/75 sandy
verge, 1976; Rudston 09/70 road dust, 1976; Speeton 15/75 pasture, 1976; N. Grimston
84/67, 1977; Kilham 06/64, 1977; Staxton 02/79 gravel, 1977.

T. fulviforme Dahlst. Wintringham 89/72, 1976; Langton 80/68, 1979.

T. lacistophyllum (Dahlst.) Raunk. Millington 81/51, 1976; Langton 80/68, 1980;
Hunmanby 06/77, 1980.

T. oxoniense Dahlst. Westow 75/64 quarry, 1974; Acklam 79/61, 1975; Spurn 41/12
sand, 1976; N. Grimston 85/67 quarry, 1976; Langton 80/68, 1979.

T. proximum (Dahlst.) Raunk. Stillingfleet 59/41 wet grassland, 1979; Givendale 81/53,
1979.

T. rubicundum (Dahlst.) Dahlst. Fordon 05/75, 1976; Langton 80/68, 1979.

T. simile Raunk. Kelleythorpe 01/56 old railway ash, 1978; Wheldrake 66/46 woodland
ride, 1979; Hull docks 09/28 ash, 1979; Langton 80/68, 1980.

Section OBLIQUA Dahlst. NIL

Section PALUSTRIA (H. Lindb. f.) Dahlst. NIL

A First Look at the Genus Taraxacum in South-East Yorkshire

Section SPECTABILIA (Dahlst.) Dahlst. emend. A. J. Richards

T. spectabile Dahlst. All on wet pasture or meadow with water from the chalk. S. Cliffe
87/35, 1975; Driffield 01/57, 1975; Wansford 04/56, 1975; Harpham 08/61, 1978;
Folkton 05/80, 1979; Winteringham 87/73, 1980.

Section NAEVOSA. M. P. Christiansen

Habitat wet grassland unless otherwise stated.

T. euryphyllum (Dahlst.) M.P.Chr. Burton Fleming 87/73 verge, 1975; Kelleythorpe
01/55, 1978; Catton 7-/5-, 1979; Winteringham 87/73, 1980.

T. pseudolarssonii A. J. Richards Staxton 02/79 verge, 1973; Folkton 05/80, 1974;
Driffield 03/56, 1975; Withernwick 20/39, 1980.

T. ‘richardsianum’ C. C. Haworth, inedit. Millington 83/53, 1976; Thixendale 81/61,
1979.

Section CELTIC A A. J. Richards

Plants of wet pastures and hay meadows unless otherwise stated.

T. haematicum Haglund Bubwith 70/36, 1974; Kilham 06/64, 1977; Melbourne 73/45,
1977; Withernwick 20/39, 1980.

T. laetifrons Dahlst. Driffield 04/57, 1974.

T. nordstedtii Dahlst. Driffield 01/57, 1975; Spurn 41/12 sand, 1976; Kelleythorpe
01/55, 1978; Thixendale 81/61, 1979.

T. praestans H. Lindb. fil. Melbourne 73/45, 1976.

T. raunkiaeri Wiinstedt Ruston Parva 05/62 verge, 1975; Staxton 00/80, 1975; Folkton
06/79 verge, 1975; Leavening 79/63 grassland, 1975; Scampston 85/75 sandy verge,
1976; Rudston 09/70 road dust, 1976; Speeton 15/75 pasture, 1976; Flamborough 21/71
verge, 1976; Driffield 02/58 verge, 1977; Melbourne 73/45, 1977; Foston/Wolds 10/55
wall top, 1979.

Section HAMATA H. 011gaard

The habitat is roadside verges unless otherwise stated.

T. boekmanii Borgvall Burton Agnes 12/61 ditch, 1975; Boynton 13/67 woodland ride,
1975; Staxton 02/79 gravel, 1977.

T. bracteatum Dahlst. Melbourne 73/45 hay meadow, 1977; Kelk 10/57, 1979.

T. hamatiforme Dahlst. N. Frodingham 08/53, 1979.

T. hamatum Raunk. Westow 75/64, 1974; Boynton 13/68, 1975; Bishop Wilton 80/54,
1975; Tunstall 30/30, 1976; Sherburn 96/74, 1978; Wetwang 92/59, 1979.

T. marklundii Palmgren Ruston Parva 07/62, 1975; Wansford 05/55, 1977; Skerne
04/54, 1977; Garton 98/59, 1977.

T. pseudohamatum Dahlst. Gransmoor 13/59, 1984.

T. quadrans H. 011gaard Sledmere 95/61 woodland ride, 1979.

T. subhamatum M.P.Chr. Leconfield 00/43, 1977.

Section VULGARIA Dahlstedt

This large section has a variety of habitats, but roadside verges are the commonest or at

least the most accessible and it is this habitat unless otherwise stated.

T. aequilobum Dahlst. Kelk 09/59, 1977; Wetwang 92/59, 1979.

T. alatum H. Lindb. f. Burythorpe 79/65, 1975; Carnaby 15/63, 1977.

T. ancistrolobum Dahlst. Folkton 05/80 pasture, 1975; Melbourne 73/45 hay meadow,
1976; Driffield 02/59, 1977; Brigham 08/54, 1979; Menethorpe 76/67 meadow, 1979.

T. aurosulum H. Lindb. f. Driffield 02/59, 1977; Folkton 05/80, 1977.

T. cordatum Palmgren Bubwith 70/36 hay meadow, 1975.

T. dahlsteddi H. Lindb. f. Wintringham 89/72, 1976; Hempholme 09/50 gravel quarry,
1979; Hull docks 10/28 ash, 1979.

T. expallidiforme Dahlst. Driffield 02/57 foot of wall, 1978.

T. fasciatum Dahlst. Bishop Wilton 79/54, 1975.

T. huelphersianum Dahlst. Burton Fleming 08/71, 1979.

90 Book Review

T. insigne Ekman ex Chr. & Wiinst. in Raunk. Garton 99/58, 1977; Brigham 08/54,
1979; Muston 07/79 meadow, 1981.

T. interveniens Haglund Burton Fleming 06/72 tumulus, 1976.

T. lingulatum Marklund Driffield 01/60, 1977; Hutton Cranswick 01/53 road dust, 1978;

Withernwick 20/39 meadow, 1980.

T. ochrochlorum Haglund Kelk 09/59, 1979.

T. ostenfeldii Raunk. Winteringham 87/73, 1980.

T. pachymerum Haglund Boynton 13/67 woodland ride, 1975; Hempholme 09/50 gravel
quarry, 1979.

T. pannucium Dahlst. Melbourne 73/45 meadow, 1977; Driffield 02/58 hedge base,

1979.

T. planum Raunk. Scampston 87/75, 1976.

T. polyodon Dahlst. Boynton 13/67 woodland ride, 1975; Scampston 87/75, 1976;
Driffield 02/58, 1977 and 1979; Folkton 05/81 pasture, 1978; Barmston 17/60 sand on
low cliff top, 1979.

T. sagittipotens Dahlst. & R. Ohlsen Driffield 02/58, 1977.

T. sellandii Dahlst. Melbourne 73/44 cart-track, 1976; Barmston 17/59 cliff top, 1980.
T. stenacrum Dahlst. Driffield 02/58, 1979.

T. subcyanolepis M.P.Chr. ex M.F.Chr. & Wiinst. Melbourne 73/44 cart-track, 1976.
T. subundulatum Dahlst. Melbourne 73/45 meadow, 1977; Withernwick 20/39 meadow,

1980.

T. trilobatum Palmgren Withernwick 18/39 meadow, 1981.

T. xanthostigma H. Lindb. f. Driffield 02/58 field path, 1977.

Acknowledgements

Without the determinations of Dr A. J. Richards and Mr C. C. Haworth this account
would have been impossible; in addition Mr Haworth has kindly checked the manuscript.

References

Richards, A. J. (1972) The Taraxacum flora of the British Isles. Supplement to Watsonia
Vol. 9.

Haworth, C. C. and Rundle, A. J. (1986) An Annotated List of British and Irish
Dandelions (as at 1 January, 1986). Circulated privately.

BOOK REVIEW

From Agar to Zenry by Ron Freethy. Pp. 152, with 90 black and white illustrations. The
Cawood Press, 1985. £9.95.

This is described as a book of plant uses, names and folklore. Despite the title, it is no
mere alphabetical list of plants, but an original approach to the subject. It contains a
fascinating collection of information about plant species, arranged according to habitat
and including seaweeds, fungi, ferns, herbs and trees.

After a short but wise note to the reader, the author, who is well known for his writings
and broadcasts, explains that much of his knowledge and love of flowers and folklore
comes from his great-grandmother, who lived to be 104 (described as the little witch who
had green cunning). The book therefore contains facts gained through personal
experience, as well as well-researched information. There are herbal and culinary uses of
plants, local names, uses of timber, and traditional crafts such as basketry, besom making
and thatching. A comprehensive bibliography is added.

The publication is enhanced by the drawings of Carole Pugh and it is a book to be
enjoyed and referred to time and again. Most people will recognize Agar, but as to the
meaning of Zenry — that is just one of many things for the reader to discover.

JED

THE SHORT-EARED OWL

Of recent years, sightings of short-eared owls in Yorkshire have been more frequent than
they were earlier this century. Although that may be partially accounted for by the rapid
growth in the number of observers, there is evidence that both as a resident and visitor,
this species has increased in the county. There are now more opportunities to watch the
males in display-flight over marsh and moor in spring. As they circle around on extended
wings with occasional down-beats, the cocks sing their hollow, hooting songs. At intervals
the wingtips are brought together beneath the flying bird’s body, to make a rapid series of
claps. When that occurs the displaying male drops several feet, before regaining its
buoyancy with a down-stroke of its long, narrow wings.

Photo: Arthur Gilpin

ENTOMOLOGICAL REPORTS FOR 1972-1985
COLEOPTERA: PART 3, ST APH YLINID AE (ALEOCHARINAE)

M. L. DENTON

This part follows Part 2 ( Naturalist 111: 25-30) and completes the Coleoptera Report.
Unlike most of the order covered by the previous Coleoptera Reports, the Aleocharinae
cannot be said to have been overworked. The members of this sub-family are generally
very small and can be notoriously difficult to identify, and in most cases there is a necessity
to dissect the internal organs for positive identification. Consequently very few coleopter-
ists have become seriously involved with the group.

However, Mr E. W. Aubrook’s work continued into the 1970s and the rewards of his
searchings were to discover a few species new to VC 62, 63 and 64 along with six new
additions to the county. The interest shown by Mr R. J. Marsh during the 1980s has also

Naturalist 1 11 ( 1986)

Entomological Reports for 1972-1985

supplemented the respective vice-county total lists and several hitherto undiscovered
Yorkshire species have been located. Additionally, through the activities of Mr E. J.
Smith of Sheffield, the writer became interested in their identification during the 1980s.

Ever since Mr D. Maude commenced his mammoth invertebrate survey of the
Huddersfield area in 1983, there has been a plethora of specimens for identification. This
task has been undertaken by the writer, who must acknowledge the help and advice so
freely given by Mr C. Johnson when determining some of the more problematical
specimens. Not only have there been innumerable new vice-county records stemming
from this survey but several new species have been added to the known fauna of the
county.

With the exception of the above-named coleopterists, very few have become actively
involved with the group, although due to the availability of various identification papers it
is hoped that more people will become interested in this absorbing, albeit difficult,
sub-family. It must be borne in mind that very little work has been carried out on this
sub-family; therefore the following records show the distribution of interested coleopter-
ists and not necessarily of the species itself. However, the following can be described as
being very local and of rare occurrence: Gymnusa brevicollis, G. variegata , Bolitochara
bella, Gnypeta rubrior, Notothecta con f us a , Plataraea brunnea, Atheta diversa , Thamiarea
cinnamomea , Ocalia badia, Oxypoda longipes , O. nigricornis and O. procerula.

Due to the problems of identification and taxonomy which govern this sub-family, it has
been thought best to indicate the sex of the specimen(s) on which identification was based,
as generally speaking the aedeagus of the male is a better character than the spermatheca
of the female. This will give a better indication of the validity of the records if they are
assessed by future researchers. In all the following instances the specimens concerned
were male, unless otherwise stated.

Initials used in the list that follows are those of E. W. Aubrook, M. L. Denton, W. A.
Ely, J. H. Flint, C. Johnson, H. R. Last, R. J. Marsh, D. Maude, E. J. Smith and P.
Skidmore.

t New county records * New vice-county records

Gymnusa brevicollis Pk. (*63) Ox-Lee (SE10), not sexed, 16/2/85; D.M. det. M.L.D.
G. variegata Kies. (*63) Skirden Clough (SE03), sex ?, 9/7/83; W.A.E. New Mill
(SE10), not sexed, 10/1/85; D.M. det. M.L.D. Whitley Common (SE10), not sexed,
17/2/85; D.M. det. M.L.D.

t Cypha punctum Mots. (62) Ashberry Pastures (SE58), both sexes, 29/9/72; E.W.A.

C. pulicarius Er. (*63) Morton Wood (SE10), not sexed, 19/6/85; D.M. det. M.L.D.
The only previous records are from Mulgrave Wood (NZ81) in 1934 and Dunnington
Common (SE75) in 1971.

Oligota apicata Er. (*63) Anston Stones Wood (SK58), sex ?, 19/5/85; W.A.E. The
only previous records are from Scarborough (TA08) and Whitby (NZ81) some 50 years
ago.

O. parva Kra. (63) Barrow Hills (SK69), not sexed, 24/5/83, leaf litter; R.J.M.
Sprotbrough (SE50), not sexed, 18/8/84, leaf litter; R.J.M. Melton Wood (SE50), not
sexed, 9/9/85, grass cuttings; R.J.M. Torne Bridge (SE60) and Wheldrake (SE64) have
yielded the only previous records.

Myllaena brevicornis Matt. (*63) Hey Clough (SE00), 16/4/83; M.L.D. Marsden
Clough (SE00), 18/6/83; M.L.D. Broadhead Clough (SD92), 20/3/84; M.L.D.
Thrybergh (SK49), female, 6/7/85; E.J.S. Porkgate Canal (SK49), both sexes,
13/7/85; E.J.S. Elland Park Wood (SE12), 21/9/85; E.J.S.

M. dubia Gr. (63) Porkgate Canal (SK49), 13/7/85; E.J.S.

M. infuscata Kr. (*62) Ashberry Pastures (SE58), sex ?, 29/9/72; E.W.A. (63)
Sprotbrough (SE50), sex ?, 29/6/72; E.W.A. Bretton (SE21) and Askham Bog (SE54)
have yielded the only previous records.

fM. minuta Gr. (63) Sprotbrough (SE50), sex ?, 26/3/71; E.W.A. (64) Knaresborough
Ringing Station (SE35), female, 21/8/83; M.L.D. (teste C.J.).

Entomological Reports for 1972-1985 93

Encephalus complicans Steph. (*63) Netherton (SE11), 3/3/84; D.M. det. M.L.D.

Honley Wood (SE11), 8/12/84; M.L.D. Langold Holt (SK58), 14/7/85; E.J.S.
Cyrophaena bihamata Thom. (63) Thorne Moor (SE71), female, 27/4/85; E.J.S. (teste
H.R.L.). The only previous records are from Skipwith (SE63) and Torne Bridge
(SE60).

G. latissima Steph. (*64) Askham Bog (SE54), sex ?, 4/10/71; E.W.A.
t G. williamsi Strand. (63) Bottom’s Mill Wood (SE10), 20/6/85; D.M. det. M.L.D. (64)
Harlow Carr (SE25), both sexes, 24/9/72; E.W.A.

Homalota plana Gyll. (63) Hepworth (SE10), 16/6/85; D.M. det. M.L.D.

Leptusa pulchella Mann. (62) Duncombe Park (SE68), female, 10/9/85, leaf litter;
R.J.M. (teste C.J.). (*63) Crimpsall Ings (SE50), female, 23/8/85, reed litter; R.J.M.
(teste C.J.). The only previous record was from Mulgrave Wood (NZ81) in 1936.

L. ruficollis Er. (*63) Mollicar Wood (SE11), sex ?, 7/9/73, under birch bark; E.W.A.
Bolitochara bella Mark. (*63) Lepton Great Wood (SE11), not sexed, 7/7/85; D.M.
det. M.L.D. (teste C.J.). The only previous record was from Malham (SD86) in 1957.
f Autalia impressa Ol. All past records of this species are dubious as the species which
follows has been found to be masquerading under this name. The following authenti-
cated records are therefore the first to find their way onto the Union’s record cards. (62)
Arnecliffe Wood (SE49), 15/9/72; E.W.A. Duncombe Park (SE68), 10/9/85; R.J.M.

(63) Ewden Beck (SK29), 1/10/74; C.J. Melton Wood (SE50), 15/9/81; R.J.M.
Potteric Carr (SE50), 11/6/83; M.L.D. North Dean Wood (SE02), 17/6/83; M.L.D.
Broadhead Clough (SD92), 4/9/83: R.J.M. Wharncliffe Wood (SK29), 18/9/83; E.J.S.
Rocker Rocks (SK29), 7/10/84; E.J.S. Sprotbrough (SE50), 23/8/85; R.J.M. Royd
Edge Clough (SE00) 21/9/85; D.M. det. M.L.D. (64) Bishop Wood (SE53), 15/10/80;
R.J.M. Timble Ings (SE25), 19/8/84; R.J.M.

t A. longicornis Sch. (63) Langsett (SE20), 20/8/85; E.J.S. Elland Park Wood (SE12),
21/9/85; W.A.E. & E.J.S.

A. puncticollis Sharp. (*65) Rowton Beck (NY92), sex ?, 20/6/81; P.S.

Cordalia obscura Gr. (*63) Mag Wood (SE11), 27/11/83; D.M. det. M.L.D.

Falagria caesa Er. (*63) Royd House Wood (SE11), not sexed, 25/11/84; D.M. det.

M.L.D. Blackmoorfoot (SE01), not sexed, 9/9/85; M.L.D.

Tachyusa leucopus Marsh. (*63) Blackmoorfoot (SE01), not sexed, 23/4/83; M.L.D.

Salt Spring Wood (SK29), female, 21/11/83; E.J.S. (teste C.J.).

Gnypeta rubrior Tott. (*63) Blackmoorfoot (SE01), 29/11/84; M.L.D. det. C.J.
Callicerus obscurus Gr. (*63) Boothferry Bridge (SE72), sex ?, 23/3/72; E.W.A.
t Schistoglossa curtipennis Sharp. (63) Deer Hill (SE01), 13/3/83; M.L.D. Yateholme
(SE10), 25/1/85; D.M. det. M.L.D. Hades (SE10), 3/2/85; D.M. det. M.L.D. along
with a few additional records from the Yateholme area (SE10) during 1985.
fS. gemina Er. (63) Rushy Moor (SE51), female, 7/5/85, in tussocks; R.J.M. (teste C.J.).

(64) Askham Bog (SE54), sex ?, 9/12/71; E.W.A.

Amischa cavifrons Sharp. (*63) Fitzwilliam Canal (SK49), female, 13/7/85; E.J.S.

Porkgate Canal (SK49), female, 13/7/85; E.J.S.

A. decipiens Sharp. (*63) Sprotbrough (SE50), female, 9/4/84, in reed bed; R.J.M.
(teste C.J.). Rawcliffe Moor (SE71), female, 17/4/85; E.J.S. Langold Holt (SK58),
female, 30/6/85; R.J.M. All previous records have been from VC 61.

A. soror Kra. (*63) Melton Wood (SE50), female, 14/4/83, leaf litter; R.J.M. (teste
C.J.). Sprotbrough (SE50), female, 8/3/85, grass tussocks; R.J.M. (teste C.J.).
Langold Holt (SK58), female, 30/6/85; W.A.E. The only previous record was from
North Duffield (SE63) in 1930.

Nehemitropia sordida Marsh. (*63) Dean Wood (SE11), 24/11/84; D.M. det. M.L.D.
(teste C.J.).

t Notothecta confusa Mark. (63) Hall Dike (SE11), not sexed, 17/12/83; D.M. det.
M.L.D. (teste C.J.).

Dinaraea linearis Gr. (63) Melton Wood (SE50), female, 14/7/82, leaf litter; R.J.M.
(teste C.J.). The only previous record was from Shirley Pool (SE51).

94 Entomological Reports for 1972-1985

Plataraea brunnea F. (62) Duncombe Park (SE68), female, 10/9/85, old logs; R.J.M.
(teste C.J.). (*63) Sinking Wood (SE10), female, 18/6/85; D.M. det. M.L.D. (teste
C.J.).

Liogluta granigera Kies. (63) Holmbridge (SE10), both sexes, 24/8/73; C.J. Mollicar
Wood (SE11), sex ?, 7/9/73; E.W.A. Ewden Beck (SK29), female, 1/10/74; C.J.
Greno Wood (SK39), 1/10/74; C.J. (*64) Malham (SD86), female, 27/9/72; C.J. The
only previous records are from Millhouses (SE40) in 1919 and Robin Hood’s Bay
(NZ90) in 1921.

L. nitidula Kra. (*63) Langsett (SE20), female, 21/9/84; E.J.S. Langsett (SE20),
2/3/85; D.M. det. M.L.D. The only previous records are from Keld (NY80) in 1915
and Kildale (NZ60) in 1916.

Atheta britteni Joy. (*63) Edderthorpe Ings (SE40), sex ?, 2/2/71; E.W.A.
iA. debilis Er. (63) Salterhebble (SE02), 27/10/84; M.L.D. Dobb Dike (SE10), 17/2/85;
M.L.D. Slaithwaite (SE01), 20/10/85; D.M. det. M.L.D.

A. elongatula Gr. (*61) Holme upon Spalding Moor (SE83), both sexes, 4/7/81;
W.A.E. (teste C.J.). (63) Deer Hill (SE01), 16/6/84; M.L.D. Langold Holt (SK58),
14/7/84; E.J.S. Hollins Hill (SE10), 16/2/85; D.M. det. M.L.D. Blackmoorfoot
(SE01), 5/5/85; M.L.D. The only previous record was from Thorne Moor (SE71) in
1971.

A. malleus Joy. (*62) Ashberry Pastures (SE58), 29/9/72; E.W.A. (*63) Grange Park
(SK39), 2/7/81; W.A.E. Sprotbrough (SE50), 16/5/84; R.J.M. (teste C.J.). Brecks
Plank (SK49), 7/10/84; W.A.E. (teste M.L.D.). Thrybergh (SK49), 6/7/85; E.J.S.
Fitzwilliam Canal (SK49), 13/7/85; E.J.S. The only previous record was from Bubwith
(SE73) nearly 60 years ago.

A. melanocera Thom. (*63) Blackmoorfoot (SE01), 30/4/83; M.L.D. Elland gravel pit
(SE12), 1/3/84; M.L.D. Sprotbrough (SE50), 5/5/84, reed bed; R.J.M. (teste C.J.).
Mag Wood (SE11), 17/5/84; D.M. det. M.L.D. along with a few other records south of
Holmfirth (SE10) during 1984.

A. obtusangula Joy. (63) Broadhead Clough (SD92), 28/3/84; M.L.D. Rocker Rocks
(SK29), 30/12/84; E.J.S. Slaithwaite (SE01), 20/10/85; D.M. det. M.L.D. Gunthwaite
(SE20), Bubwith (SE73) and Sawley (SE26) have yielded the only previous records.

A. volans Scriba. (*63) Shepley (SE10), sex ?, 16/12/71; E.W.A. Treeton Dyke (SK48),
29/7/81; W.A.E. det. M.L.D. The only previous records are from Scarborough
(TA08), Hornsea Mere (TA14) and Spurn (TA41).

A. luteipes Er. (*63) Blaxton Common (SE60), female, 28/6/71; C.J. Spurn (TA41),
Scarborough (TA08), Bubwith (SE73) and Bolton Percy (SE54) have yielded the only
previous records.

A. exellens Kra. (*63) Gorple (SD93), 2/10/83; M.L.D. Blackmoorfoot (SE01),
28/10/84; M.L.D. (teste C.J.). The only previous records are from Studley (SE27) in
1867, Scarborough (TA08) in 1928, Malham (SD86) in 1967 and Penyghent (SD87) in
1967.

tA. fungivora Thom. (63) Lepton Great Wood (SE11), 28/10/84; D.M. det. M.L.D.
(teste C.J.).

A. monticola Thom. (*63) Blackmoorfoot (SE01), 6/8/83; M.L.D. Lepton Great Wood
(SE11), 7/9/85; D.M. det. M.L.D. The only previous record was from Scarborough
(TA08) in 1928.

t A. harwoodi Will. (61) Wheldrake (SE64), sex ?, 24/10/71; E.W.A. (63) Shepley
(SE10), sex ?, 16/12/71; E.W.A. Blackmoorfoot (SE01), 8/8/83; M.L.D. (teste C.J.).
t A. liturata Steph. (62) Duncombe Park (SE68), 10/9/85, in Polyporus sulphureus\
R.J.M. (teste C.J.).

A. corvina Thom. (62) Duncombe Park (SE68), female, 10/9/85, in Polyporus
sulphureus\ R.J.M. (teste C.J.). (*63) Farnley Line (SE11), sex ?, 15/3/73, old cut
grass; E.W.A. The only previous records are from Raincliffe Wood (SE98) in 1931 and
Givendale (SE88) in 1935.

Entomological Reports for 1972-1985

+A cadaverina Bris. (63) Langsett (SE20), 21/9/84 and 20/10/85; E.J.S.
t A. ampicollis Mul. & Rey. (63) Digley (SE10), 24/7/85; D.M. det. M.L.D. (teste C.J.).
A. aterrima Gr. (*64) Knaresborough Ringing Station (SE35), 25/4/83; M.L.D. (teste

C. J.).

t A. exigua Er. (63) Holme Moss (SE00), sex ?, 1983; C.J.

A. pygmaea Gr. (*62) Arnecliffe Wood (SE49), both sexes, 15/9/72; E.W.A.

A. subsinuata Er. (*61) Boynton (TA16), sex ?, 6/5/72; E.W.A. (63) Almondbury
(SE11), 9/9/85; M.L.D. Birstall (SE22), North Stainley (SE27) and Pickering (SE78)
have yielded the only previous records.

A. celata Er. (*63) Mag Dale (SE11), 3 and 11/84; D.M. det. M.L.D. Melton Wood
(SE50), both sexes, 15/4/85, dung; R.J.M. (teste C.J.). March Haigh (SE01), 6/5/85;

D. M. det. M.L.D. Thrybergh (SK49), both sexes, 6/7/85; E.J.S. Blackmoorfoot
(SE01), 25/7/85; M.L.D.

t A. dadopora Thom. (63) Melton Wood (SE50), 8/7/85, old cut grass; R.J.M. (teste
C.J.).

A. sordidula Gr. (*63) Shepley (SE10), sex ?, 16/12/71; E.W.A. The only previous
records are from Bubwith (SE73), Spurn (TA41), Whitby (NZ81) and Malham (SD86).
A. aquatilis Thom. (*63) Hall Dike (SE11), female, 18/2/84; D.M. det. M.L.D. Dean
Wood (SE11), female, 29/5/84; D.M. det. M.L.D. Blackmoorfoot (SE01), 28/10/84;
M.L.D. Additionally several specimens were collected from scattered localities in SE10
and SE11 during 1985. The only previous records are from Hayburn Wyke (TA09) and
Forge Valley (SE98) nearly 60 years ago.

A. brunneipennis Thom. (*63) Langold Holt (SK58), both sexes, 14/7/84; E.J.S. Dobb
Dike (SE10), 16/8/85; D.M. det. M.L.D. Langsett (SE20), both sexes, 20/10/85;

E. J.S. Ripon (SE37) and Malham (SD86) have yielded the only previous records.

A. castanoptera Mann. (*63) Mag Dale (SE11), 11/3/84; D.M. det. M.L.D. Langsett
(SE20), female, 21/9/84; E.J.S. Elland gravel pit (SE12), 25/11/84; M.L.D. Dobb
Dike (SE10), 17/2/85; D.M. det. M.L.D. Wickersley Wood (SK49), both sexes,
17/7/85; W.A.E. det. M.L.D. Blackmoorfoot (SE01), 13/11/85; M.L.D.

A. triangulum Kr. (*64) Hunsingore (SE45), sex ?, 14/10/71; E.W.A.

A. xanthopus Thom. (*63) Melton Wood (SE50), female, 15/10/79, leaf litter, R.J.M.
(teste C.J.). South Crosland (SE11), 25/11/83; D.M. det. M.L.D. Marsden Clough
(SE00), female, 9/3/84; M.L.D. Digley (SE10), female, 9/3/84; M.L.D. Dean
Plantation (SK49), female, 5/5/85; W.A.E. det. M.L.D.

IvL basicornis Mul. &. Rey. (63) Thorne Moor (SE71), female, 27/4/85, leaf litter,
R.J.M. (teste C.J.).

t A. diversa Sharp. (63) Wessenden Head (SE00), 16/6/84, sheep dung; M.L.D. (teste
C.J.).

A. repanda Mul. & Rey. (*63) Dean Wood (SE11), 29/5/84; D.M. det. M.L.D.

A. ischnocera Thom. (*63) Shepley (SE10), sex ?, 16/12/71; E.W.A. Netherton (SE11),
3/3/84; M.L.D. Broadhead Clough (SD92), female, 16/6/84; M.L.D. Blackmoorfoot
(SE11), female, 16/8/84; M.L.D. Spurn (TA41) and Malham (SD86) have yielded the
only previous records.

A. macrocera Thom. (*63) Deffer Wood (SE20), 18/8/85; D.M. det. M.L.D.

A. marcida Er. (*63) North Dean Wood (SE02), 22/10/83; M.L.D. Hall Dike (SE11),
15/2/84; D.M. det. M.L.D. along with several other records from the Huddersfield
area (SE11) during 1984. The only previous records are from Givendale (SE88) in 1925
and Mulgrave Wood (NZ81) in 1936.

A. nigripes Thom. (61) Wheldrake (SE64), sex ?, 9/5/71; E.W.A. (*63) Bretton
(SE21), sex ?, 7/2/71; E.W.A. Shepley (SE10), sex ?, 16/12/71; E.W.A. Bentley
Springs (SE11), 16/4/72; E.W.A. Morton Wood (SE10), 31/1/85; D.M. det. M.L.D.
(*64) Catrigg Force (SD86), 11/5/85; M.L.D. The only previous record was from Spurn
(TA41).

A. setigera Sharp. (*63) Lindley Wood (SE20), female, 14/3/84; E.J.S. The only
previous records are from Spurn (TA41) in 1948 and Malham (SD86) in 1954.

96 Entomological Reports for 1972-1985

Alianta incana Er. (63) Mag Dale (SE11), 5 and 11/84 and 7/85; D.M. det. M.L.D.
Langold Holt (SK58), 14/7/84; W.A.E. det. M.L.D. Melton Wood (SE50), both sexes,
16/5/85, reed bed; R.J.M. (teste C.J.). Scarborough (TA08), Askham Bog (SE54),
Blaxton Common (SE60) and Seeker Vale (SE31) have yielded the only previous
records.

iThamiarea cinnamonea Gr. (63) Blackmoorfoot (SE01), not sexed, 11/11/85; M.L.D.
(teste C.J.).

Calodera nigrita Mann. (*63) Thorne Moor (SE71), 27/4/85; E.J.S. (teste C.J.). (*64)
Bishop Wood (SE53), 18/4/83, grass cuttings; R.J.M. (teste C.J.). The only previous
records are from Scarborough (TA08) and Thorganby (SE64).

C. riparia Er. (63) Thorne Moor (SE71), 27/4/85; E.J.S. (teste C.J.). Scarborough
(TA08), Bubwith (SE73) and Askham Bog (SE54) have yielded the only previous
records.

Chiloporata rubicunda Er. (62) Duncombe Park (SE68), 18/6/83, leaf litter; R.J.M.
The only previous record was from Scarborough (TA08).

Ocalea badia Er. (*63) Upper Windleden (SE10), 5/4/85; D.M. det. M.L.D. The only
previous records are from Forge Valley (SE98) in 1926 and Tadcaster (SE44) in 1969.

O. latipennis Sharp. (*63) Langsett (SE20), 7/4/85; D.M. det. M.L.D. Scarborough
(TA08), Bingley (SE13) and Raincliffe Wood (SE98) have yielded the only previous
records.

O. picata Steph. (*63) Hall Dike (SE11), 17/12/83; D.M. det. M.L.D. Elland gravel pit
(SE12), 9/9/84; M.L.D. Upperhead Dyke (SE10), 24/2/85; D.M. det. C.J. Slaithwaite
(SE01), 20/10/85; D.M. det. M.L.D.

Oxypoda amoena Fair. & Lab. (*63) Hade Edge (SE10), 22/2/85; D.M. det. M.L.D.
The only previous record is from Spurn (TA41).

O. lividipennis Mann. (*63) Wharncliffe Wood (SK29), both sexes, 16/6/85; E.J.S.

O. longipes Mul. & Rey. (*63) Mag Wood (SE11), not sexed, 27/11/83; D.M. det.
M.L.D. (teste C.J.). The only previous record was from Bubwith (SE73) in 1916.

O. nigricornis Mots. (*63) Brun Moor (SE00), female, 14/9/85; D.M. det. M.L.D.
(teste C.J.). The only previous record was from Malham (SD86) in 1967.

O. procerula Mann. (*63) Bretton (SE21), sex ?, 16/4/72; E.W.A. Elland gravel pit
(SE12), not sexed, 19/2/83; M.L.D. (teste C.J.) along with records from four localities
near Huddersfield (SE11) during 1985. The only previous record was from Askham Bog
(SE54) in 1967.

O. umbrata Gyll. (*63) Honley Wood (SE11), 17/5/84; M.L.D. Whitley Common
(SE10), 17/2/85; M.L.D. (teste C.J.). March Haigh (SE01), 6/5/85; D.M. det. M.L.D.
Crowden Great Brook (SE00), 1/6/85; D.M. det. M.L.D.

Ischnoglossa prolixa Gr. (*63) Elland Park Wood (SE12), 22/9/85; M.L.D.

Haploglossa pulla Gyll. (*63) Honley Wood (SE11), not sexed, 17/5/84; D.M. det.
M.L.D. (teste C.J.).

Aleochara algarum Fauv. (*62) Hayburn Wyke (TA09), sex ?, 24/4/82; J.H.F.

f A. brevipennis Gr. (63) Bretton (SE21), not sexed, 17/7/81; M.L.D.

A. curtula Goez. (*63) Sprotbrough (SE50), female, 23/6/83, carrion; R.J.M. Elland
gravel pit (SE12), both sexes, 25/9/83, carrion; M.L.D. Blackmoorfoot (SE01),
20/6/84; M.L.D. Hall Dike (SE11), 21/7/84; D.M. det. M.L.D. Crowden Great Brook
(SE00), 1/6/85; D.M. det. M.L.D. Upper Windleden (SE10), 11/7/85; D.M. det.
M.L.D. March Haigh (SE01), 28/9/85; D.M. det. M.L.D.

t A. lata Gr. (62) Cat Babbleton (SE97), 22/6/85; W.A.E. (63) Sandbeck Park (SK59),
not sexed, 4/7/81; W.A.E. Rainsborough Park (SK39), 10/5/85; W.A.E.

A. ruficornis Gr. (*61) Filey (TA18), not sexed, 15/5/82; M.L.D. (*63) Crowden Great
Brook (SE00), not sexed, 25/5/85; D.M. det. M.L.D.

A. sparsa Heer. (*63) Dobb Dike (SE00), 17/2/85; D.M. det. M.L.D.

YORKSHIRE NATURALISTS’ UNION EXCURSIONS IN 1985

compiled by

H. S. PELLANT and C. PELLANT

APPLETON LE MOORS (VC62), 25 May (Dr M. A. Atherden)

Demonstrating the lateness of the spring, Violets, Primroses and Celandines were still in
full bloom when Union members visited Cropton Banks Wood, near Appleton le Moors,
on Saturday 25 May, accompanied by members of the Woodland History Group of the
Yorkshire Philosophical Society. A total of nearly 80 people converged upon Appleton
Mill Farm, where they were greeted and shown round by Mr and Mrs Allison. During the
day woodlands on both sides of the valley of the River Seven were visited. The steep sides
of the valley are carved in limestones and calcareous grits of the Upper Jurassic Corallian
Series, while the valley floor is covered with recent alluvium. The area is a Site of Special
Scientific Interest (SSSI), and the woodland management policy is to maintain and
improve the deciduous woodlands in cooperation with the Nature Conservancy Council.
There was ample evidence of former coppicing, and some very old stools of Hazel, Lime
and Sycamore were seen. New coppicing is being carried out in places, designed to let
more light into the woodland to benefit the ground flora. Despite the late spring and a
cloudy day, a good range of wildlife was recorded.

Ornithology (A. J. Wallis)

Appleton Mill Farm stands on the bank of the River Seven, which flows at this point
through a fairly wide agricultural valley with steep wooded sides. Hell Bank Wood is on
the west side and Cropton Bank Woods on the east. Lists of birds recorded comprised 13
species in and around the farm, 16 species in Hell Bank Wood, and 19 in Cropton Bank
Wood and along its top edge. With some species seen in both areas of woodland, the
actual total of different species recorded was 38.

In the farm area a Pied Wagtail was seen carrying food towards the farm buildings, and
a Grey Wagtail flew rapidly downstream. A Kestrel flew south in a series of widening
circles above the valley floor. Throughout the day considerable numbers of Swifts were
seen feeding in the valley, no doubt having moved upstream from Sinnington village, four
or five miles to the south. An empty Long-tailed Tit’s nest of this year’s construction was
found.

In Hell Bank Wood four warblers were heard singing, Willow Warbler, Blackcap,
Garden Warbler and Chiffchaff, though only the Willow Warbler indicated the presence
of more than one male. Two Redstarts were singing, and a pair of Nuthatches were
watched visiting their nesting hole. Both Marsh and Willow Tit were noted, but no other
tits, and two Great Spotted Woodpeckers were heard calling. A juvenile Dipper, just
fledged, was seen by the River Seven below the wood. A Tawny Owl was flushed from its
roosting tree.

A Treecreeper’s nest with six young was found in a familiar site in Cropton Bank Wood,
behind a piece of loose bark still hanging to the trunk of a dead Ash tree. Later in the day
the nest was found to have been pulled out, but whether by human or mammalian
disturbance is not known. Two other Treecreepers were heard singing in the wood, as
were another two Redstarts, and a Wood Warbler was calling. Although one Tree Pipit
was reported to have been heard, the absence of this species in the valley, which would
appear to be a very suitable area for it, was most noticeable. One Sparrowhawk was seen.

This was an interesting day, but not as rewarding as was to be expected from such a very
attractive area. Perhaps some species were not singing, and were thus overlooked, if not
seen.

Mollusca (A. Norris)

Thirty-six species of mollusca were found in the area of Cropton Banks Wood and
Howlgate Head Wood, including several of Yorkshire’s more localized species. These

Naturalist 111 (1986)

Yorkshire Naturalists' Union Excursions in 1985

included the slug Limax cinereoniger and Zenobiella subrufescens . The most interesting
finds, however, were Boettgerilla pallens and a single dead shell of Helicigona lapicida.

The slug B. pallens was found under stones near an open barn close to the river. This is
the first record of this species from North-east Yorkshire, constituting a new vice-county
record. The occurrence of H. lapicida in Cropton Banks Wood is important, as it is the
first indication that this species still occurs in this part of Yorkshire, all previous records
from VC 62 dating back to the 1880s.

Entomology (K. Payne)

The meeting must be considered very successful from the entomological point of view,
yielding some very interesting insects. Further and possibly even more interesting records
may result when the more critical material has been studied in detail. Messrs M. L.
Denton, W. A. Ely and P. Kendall have listed a total of 90 species taken, the most
noteworthy of which are given below. A dead rabbit yielded eight species to Messrs
Denton and Kendall.

Mr G. King compiled a list of 26 species taken at the meeting, including the Longhorn
beetle Leiopus nebulosus , the Tachinid fly Gymnochaeta viridis , and three Chironomid
flies identified by exuviae: Prodiamesa olivacea, Chiponomus anthracinus and Ortho-
cladius rivulorum.

Plecoptera

Nemoura avicularis: this species, taken by Dr Lloyd Evans, is commonly associated
with lake-shore habitats, but Yorkshire records prove that this is not always the case.

Hemiptera

Troilus luridus : this conspicuous insect is rarely recorded in Yorkshire. Strensall
Common in 1973 may be the only previous VC 62 record.

COLEOPTERA

Cychrus caraboides : an interesting species, frequent in Yorkshire, showing elongated
head and jaws suited to predation on snails.

Oreodytes sanmarki: this species, classified as ‘boreo-montane’ in continental
Europe, is frequently found in very fast-flowing water.

Oiceoptoma thoracicum: a local species, found in the dead rabbit.

Eusphalerum primulae : plentiful in Primrose flowers.

Philonthus addendus: an uncommon species, found in the dead rabbit.

Nudobius lentus : found under conifer bark, its normal daytime habitat, this is a very
local species.

Aleochara curtula: a local species, found in the dead rabbit.

A. ruficornis : several dozen were found in the dead rabbit. This appears to be a rare
species in continental Europe as well as in Great Britain.

Corticeus bicolor : this was taken under bark. It is recorded as very local under the
bark of broad-leaved trees, especially Elm, and has also been reported from the
fungus Daldinia concentrica, which usually grows on Ash.

Orsodacne cerasi: an uncommon species, whose larvae feed on Rosaceae.
Chrysomela aenea : in recent years this has been found plentifully on its food plant,
Alder, in various VC 62 localities, but on this meeting it was found away from this
plant.

Apion pallipes : the larvae live in the stems of Mercurialis perennis, from which plant
the adults can be swept.

Rhynchites cavifrons: an uncommon species, whose larvae develop in young Oak
twigs.

R. aequatus : another uncommon species, found on Rosaceae.

Hymenoptera

Phaeogenes fuscicornis: the fifth Yorkshire record, new to VC 62.

Yorkshire Naturalists' Union Excursions in 1985 99

Ophion ventricosus : several specimens were taken, making this the fourth Yorkshire
locality.

Saphonecrus connatus : this species lives in the galls of other Cynipidae.

Diptera

Limonia nigropunctata : this is the second Yorkshire record, advancing the known
distribution of this mainly southern species 100 km northwards.

Tephritis hyoscyami : an uncommon species, whose larvae live in Thistle flowers.

Lepidoptera (A. Heron)

In spite of the varied and promising habitat at Cropton Banks Wood, very few
Lepidoptera were recorded, the day being dull, damp, cool and windy, after a
thunderstorm on the previous evening. Only two butterflies were seen: Small White,
Pieris rapae , and Orange Tip, Anthocharis cardamines . Four species of macro moth and
two species of micro moth (long-horned moths of the Adella group) were recorded, in
addition to larvae of three species of moth.

Arachnology (C. J. Smith)

The arachnifauna on either side of the River Seven was uniform and typical of deciduous
woodlands. Thirty-four species were recorded, including 16 new to square SE 78. Two call
for special mention: Anyphaena accentuata cf 9 were taken from Gorse, only the seventh
Yorkshire record since 1950; and Pachygnatha listen cf was associated with the leaf litter
under Mercurialis perennis , the twelfth record in the county since 1950. Both these species
are found more frequently in southern England.

Flowering Plants and Ferns (D. R. Grant)

The area supported a flora typical of the Jurassic limestone. Members followed the lane
out of the farmyard, passing Myrrhis odorata. The damp laneside banks had many False
Oxlips and some colonies of Adoxa moschatellina. In the hedgerow were Acer campestre
and Euonymus europaeus. Hell Bank Wood was then entered. Here Prunus avium and P.
padus were seen; the ground flora included Allium ursinum , Mercurialis perennis ,
Veronica montana , Melica uniflora , Campanula latifolia, and a small clump of Paris
quadrifolia.

At the foot of the dale there were small colonies of Petasites hybridus and Stellaria
nemorum. The banks of the River Seven had some large stands of Montia sibirica.

In the afternoon Cropton Banks Woods and adjacent fields were investigated. Many
plants of Primula veris, P. vulgaris and Narcissus pseudonarcissus were seen. In a damp
area Dactylorhiza fuchsii was growing, with Populus tremula nearby. In the woods
Convallaria majalis was plentiful, with Galium odoratum and Melica nutans. A small
amount of Cornus sanguinea was observed.

A rocky outcrop had Helianthemum nummularium and Origanum vulgare. The most
interesting find was the rare grass Hordelymus europaeus , which was on a bank near
Appleton Mill Farm. Small pockets of acid soil occurred throughout the area, supporting
plants such as Vaccinium myrtillus, Luzula sylvatica and Stachys officinalis. Sedges and
ferns were poorly represented in the area, the only fern of note being Polystichum
aculeatum. Some of the party saw Plantanthera chlorantha on an adjacent SSSI area.

Mycology (W. G. Bramley and A. Hawkswell)

The cold and wet spring was not conducive to a long list of fungi, and most of the species
recorded were common. The Myxomycete Ly cogala epidendrum was frequent. Ascomy-
cetes included Calloria fusarioides on Urtica dioica , Cyathicula cyathoidea on Cirsium
arvense, Dasyscyphus grevillei on Heracleum sphondylium , D. mollissimus on Arctium
and Heracleum , D. nidulus on Chamerion angustifolium , Daldinea concentrica on
Fraxinus, Phialea cyathoidea on several plants, Pisollaea nigrostriata on Heracleum ,
Diatrype stigma and D. disciformis , Leptosphaeria acuta on Urtica , Ophiobolus acumina-

100

Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1985

tus on Cirsium vulgare, O. erythrosporus on C. arvense and C. vulgare, Xylaria hypoxylon
and X. longipes. Ceratocystis ulmi had infected several elm trees and some had been felled
a few years ago, suffering from Dutch Elm Disease.

Only four Agaricales were seen: Coprinus disseminatus and C. plicatilis, Psathyrella
candolleana on rotting logs, and Tricholoma gambosum in clearings. Other Basidio-
mycetes included Hirneola auricula-judae on Sambucus nigra , Piptoporus betulinus ,
Stereum hirsutum , Dacrymyces stillatus and Exidia glandulosa. Rusts and smuts, all of
which were scarce, were represented by Entyloma ficariae, Uromyces dactylidis and D.
ficariae on Ranunculus ficaria, Melampsora populnea on Mercurialis perennis, Puccinia
chaerophylli on Myrrhis odorata , P. sessilis on Allium ursinum, Tranzschelia anemones
and Ochrospora ariae on Anemone nemorosa, Uromyces muscari on Hyacinthoides
non-scripta, Ustilago violacea on Silene dioica , and Urocystis anemones on Anemone
nemorosa. Hyphomycetes included Botrytis globosa on Allium ursinum, Dendryphiella
virosa on Myrrhis odorata, Periconia byssoides on Myrrhis and Heracleum, P. ? cookei on
Heracleum, Stachybotrys cylindrospora on Heracleum and Torula herbarum on Heracleum
and Myrrhis. The most interesting find was Hormiactis alba (IMI 295641) on Periconia ?
cookei on Heracleum. This is new to Yorkshire. A second gathering of H. alba on
Periconia byssoides on Myrrhis was made at Rosedale Abbey on 29 June.

Bryology (T. L. Blocked)

Bryological recording was centred on Hell Bank Wood and Cropton Banks Wood, where
about 70 species were seen. The richest habitat was on the calcareous grit. Apometzgeria
pubescens was moderately plentiful and Porella arboris-vitae was seen in small quantity,
both species being rare in North-east Yorkshire. Other calcicoles included Radula
complanata, Fissidens cristatus, Eucladium verticillatum, Oxystegus sinuosus, Trichosto-
mum brachydontium, Zygodon viridissimus var. stirtonii, Neckera crispa, Anomodon
viticulosus, Hygrohypnum luridum and lsothecium myurum. The ground flora of the
woods included Plagiochila asplenioides sensu stricto, Dicranum majus, Hookeria lucens
and Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, and on rotten logs were Nowellia curvifolia and Dicranum
tauricum. No epiphytes of special note were observed.

ACASTER MALBIS (VC 64), I June (Mrs J. Payne)

About forty naturalists gathered at the Memorial Hall on 1985’s one perfect summer day!
The party walked along the village to the Post Office, and then worked the river side to
South Ings, crossing by the public footpath. After lunch Stub Wood was visited by kind
permission of Miss C. Woolcombe and Mr R. Raimes.

Twenty-eight people enjoyed a home-made tea in the hall, followed by a meeting for
the presentation of reports chaired by the President, Mr R. Crossley. Nineteen societies
answered the roll call. Miss J. Robertson proposed a vote of thanks to the landowners,
and the President thanked Mr and Mrs K. G. Payne for the tea and arrangements and for
Mrs Payne’s past work as Divisional Secretary. Mr D. Savage, the new VC 64 Divisional
Secretary, was introduced.

Ornithology (A. J. Wallis)

During the day 42 species of bird were recorded. The walk through the village provided 16
species, the river bank and South Ings 20, and Stub Wood 22.

There were no surprises in the village, except for a Goldcrest singing from the small
group of conifer trees. A Jay and a Treecreeper were seen and a Tawny Owl heard, in a
line of trees backing the tow-path. The open meadowland of the Ings was attractive only
to Corn Bunting, Skylark and Curlew. Along the river Mallard and a single Black-headed
Gull were the only water birds; with plenty of bushes it was surprising that Reed Bunting
was neither seen nor heard. Across the river, in Moreby Park, Willow Warbler, Blackcap
and Whitethroat were all heard. Otherwise the list was of species which could be
expected, all probably passing through the area.

Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1985

101

In Stub Wood the birds were typical of such a habitat surrounded by agricultural fields.
The tits were not as numerous as expected in a wood with so many Oaks, Blue, Great and
Willow Tits being the only species recorded except for a family party of Long-tailed Tits
which moved through a line of Hawthorns at the wood edge. Willow Warbler, Blackcap
and Garden Warbler were all present. With the large proportion of Birches, it was no
surprise to find Great Spotted Woodpecker, and Cuckoo and Red-legged Partridge were
recorded from surrounding farmland.

Entomology (W. A. Ely)

The sunny weather was ideal for insects, and the banks of the River Ouse were alive with
them. Species with aquatic larvae were abundant, with caddisflies and alderflies
everywhere. The latter were Sialis nigripes , the most scarce of the three British species.
The ground bug Kleidocerys resedae was swept, together with the capsid bug Orthops
basalis (new to Yorkshire). The carrion beetle Aclypea opaca and the dead wood beetle
Corticeus bicolor were found. Mr Kendall found the cardinal beetle Pyrrochroa
serraticornis , Mr Bailey collected the click beetle Cidnopus aeruginosus , and nearly
everyone saw the very uncommon Tansy Beetle, Chrysolina graminis. Among the
Hymenoptera was the tiny ichneumon Nematomicrus tenellus (new to Yorkshire) and the
proctotrupid Cryptoserphus aculeator.

In the afternoon Stub Wood was visited, where the stand of Lamium album at the
entrance had the Pied Shield Bug (new to VC 64). In the wood itself was the ground bug
Scolopostethus grandis (second Yorkshire record and new to VC 64) and the beetles
Dasytes aerosus, Rhizophagus perforatus, the raspberry beetle, By turns ochraceus and the
weevil Rhynchaetes germanicus. Mr Kendall collected Heterocerus fenestralis, the
longicorn Rhagium mordax and the leaf beetle Zeugophora subspinosa. Among the flies
was the acalypterate Lauxania cylindricornis . Three ichneumons were new to the
vice-county: Ophion ventricosus, Phaeogenes maculicornis and Pimpla melanacrias, the
latter the third record for Yorkshire. The proctotrupids included Pantoclis subatricornis .

Lepidoptera (Mrs J. Payne)

The day was perfect for flying insects, but after the cold, dull spring butterflies and moths
were only just emerging. The Ings produced six species of butterfly, and Stub Wood eight.
Orange Tips, Anthocharis cardamines, were everywhere, and a female was seen
ovipositing its orange eggs on Alliaria petiolata. At least four Brimstone butterflies,
Gonepteryx rhamni , were in Stub Wood, and as Frangula alnus was present a search was
made for eggs, but without success. Six species of moth were recorded. The Small Yellow
Underwing, Panemeria tenebrata , was flying over flowers in the wood, and the Grey Birch,
Aethalura punctulata, was seen between the Birches. A Mother Shipton, Euclidimera mi ,
was on the fringe of the woodland. Two species of longhorn moth were flying in the wood,
and the larvae of the Green Oak Tortrix hung from the Oaks on silken threads.

Flowering Plants and Ferns (D. R. Grant)

In the village hedgerows were Humulus lupulus, Bryonia dioica and Symphoricarpos
rivularis. A large stand of Reynoutria japonica was seen by Naburn Lock, with a few plants
of R. sachalinensis in the midst of the colony. A small wood had Poa nemoralis growing at
its margin.

The South Ings are damp meadows dominated by Carex disticha and Silaum silaus.
Other plants here were Polygonum amphibium , P. bistorta, Sanguisorba officinalis and a
few tufts of Carex acuta. On the river bank were Geranium pratense, Cerastium arvense
and Campanula glomerata. In a sandy area were Allium scorodoprasum , A. vineale and A.
oleraceum. Other plants in the area were Saponaria officinalis , Thalictrum flavum and
Cardaria draba. A hedgerow had Cornus sanguinea, and in a nearby ditch grew Alisma
plantago-aquatica , Veronica anagallis-aquatica and Elodea nutallii.

In the afternoon Stub Wood and the area adjacent to the old airfield runways were
examined. In the sandy soil at the edge of the concrete Erophila verna, Cerastium

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Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1985

glomeratum, C. semidecandrum, Geranium dissectum, G. pyrenaicum , Vulpia bromoides ,
Sedum acre and S. album were noted. On the fringe of the wood there was a small colony
of Populus tremula , growing with Calamagrostis canescens and Frangula alnus. In the drier
parts of the wood there were some large stands of Rhododendron ponticum. Carex
pilulifera and Corydalis claviculata were found in small clearings. Other plants of note
were Malus sylvestris , Calystegia sepium and Calamagrostis epigejos. In the drainage ditch
running through the wood was a stand of Iris pseudacorus , with a small colony of Carex
curta nearby. On the damp banks Primula vulgaris and Pimpinella major were seen.

Mycology (A. Hawkswell)

The St George’s Mushroom, Tricholoma gambosum , was found on South Ings and at the
edge of Stub Wood. Also on the Ings were Thistle Rust, Puccinia punctiformis , in fair
quantity and P. recondita f. persistens on Thalictrum flavum. The downy mildew
Peronospora parasitica was on Capsella bursa-pastoris. The woodland fungi were
disappointing, yielding only a few common brackets and a small crop of Bolbitius
vitellinus. The day’s total was 11 species.

Bryology (Miss J. Robertson and T. Wall)

The morning was spent near Acaster Ings, in scattered deciduous woodland around
Naburn Lock. Species present here were Brachythecium rutabulum , Rhizomnium
punctatum , Eurhynchium praelongum and Hypnum cupressiforme . Masonry was colon-
ized by Tortula muralis, Funaria hygrometrica, Rhynchostegium riparioides, Homalothe-
cium sericeum , Orthotrichum diaphanum and Schistidium apocarpum. Pohlia carnea
covered some mud banks. Old tree boles examined in the River Ouse flood zone produced
Leskea polycarpa, Myrinia pulvinata , Tortula latifolia and Amblystegium riparium.

In Stub Wood, the well established deciduous woodland visited in the afternoon,
Fissidens taxifolius , F. bryoides and Conocephalum conicum were on the soil of ditch
banks. Old concrete runways were covered with Bryum argentium , Grimmia pulvinata ,
Barbula unguiculata , Ceratodon purpureus , Bryum capillare, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus
and Calliergon cuspidatum. Epiphytes on old tree boles and rotting timber included:
Amblystegium serpens , Brachythecium velutinum , Hypnum cupressiforme var. resupina-
tum, Orthodontium lineare, Aulacomnium androgynum, Tortula subulata var. subinermis
and the hepatic Lophocolea heterophylla. On the woodland floor were: Dicranella
heteromalla, Isothecium myurum , Plagiothecium denticulatum , P. undulatum , Eurhyn-
chium swartzii , Mnium hornum , Atrichum undulatum and the hepatic Lophocolea
bidentata. In one damp hollow Mr Wall found Sphagnum palustre, Dicranella cerviculata
and Poly trichum formosum.

CAT BABBLETON (VC 61), 22 June (B. S. Pashby)

Cold, wet weather was forecast for the day of the meeting, but after early morning
showers, the 28 people who braved the elements were rewarded with a dry, if overcast,
day, much warmer than expected. Members were welcomed at Cat Babbleton Farm by
the owner, Mr Peter Dunning, who explained how he had set aside part of his land for
nature conservation purposes and invited members to pay further visits if they so wished at
different times of the year.

Members re-assembled at the farm at 4.30 pm, when the meeting for the presentation of
reports was held in one of the farm buildings. The President, Mr Roy Crossley, took the
Chair, 18 members being present, representing 15 societies. Thanks were expressed to Mr
Dunning for permission to hold the meeting on his farm, to Mr Wrigley for permission to
visit part of the Ganton Estate, and to the Divisional Secretary for making the
arrangements for the meeting.

Ornithology (A. J. Wallis)

The total number of species recorded during the day was 29. Eleven species were noted in
and around the farm buildings, with Tree Sparrow and Spotted Flycatcher the most

Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1985 103

noteworthy. A pair of Swallows were flying about the buildings, but no evidence of
nesting was found, as the farm does not have any cattle or horses.

A valley with rough chalk grassland on both sides was explored. Of the ten species
recorded here. Common Whitethroat and a Lesser Whitethroat were of interest, and a
pair of Grey Partridges was flushed from a brood of five chicks.

An area of mature mixed woodland on a valley side provided the most interesting
sighting of the day, a flock of eight Crossbills flushed from a row of mature Pines by the
bangs of an automatic bird-scarer. As it appears that there has been an irruption of this
species from the Continent in 1985, it seems likely that these were immigrant birds. The
woodland was quite heavily infested by Wood Pigeons, and Goldcrests were heard singing
and calling. Hanging on the fence to the wood, two dead Carrion Crows were the only
evidence of this species seen during the day. The list in this area totalled 14 species.

A steep, sloping, grassy bank, invaded in parts by a dense scrub, mainly of Hawthorn,
was attractive to Willow Warblers, with at least six pairs located, and two Garden
Warblers were heard singing, as was the only Turtle Dove of the day. A single Magpie was
seen. Finches were frequent on the bank, with (in order of abundance) Chaffinch, Linnet,
Goldfinch, Greenfinch and Bullfinch recorded. The total for this area was 18 species.

It was hoped that Whinchat might be encountered on the scrub-covered bank, but none
could be found. The other noticeable absentee during the day was Corn Bunting.

Mammals and Other Vertebrates (B. S. Pashby)

Three dead Moles and one dead Common Shrew were found, and Rabbit, Hare and Field
Vole were recorded. An occupied Badger sett was seen. The dew-pond contained
Common Frogs and an unidentified species of Newt.

Mollusca (P. Lee)

Despite the ideal weather conditions and the underlying chalk, Cat Babbleton produced
only 21 species of mollusca. Candidula intersecta , along with three other species, was
confined to the grassy valley, where it was common on the drier slopes. A black form of
Arion ater agg. was very abundant in the valley bottom. The remaining species were
represented by relatively small numbers of individuals from the woodland and the
farmyard.

Entomology (W. A. Ely)

The wet conditions made entomology rather difficult, and insects were not easy to find.
The stiff breeze eventually dried the vegetation, permitting the use of the sweep nets in
the afternoon.

Mr Denton investigated the dew-pond and found seven species of water beetle, but
most of the time was spent in the valley to the west of the farm. Among the bugs were the
tiny Loricula pselaphiformis and the capsid Orthops basalis, the second Yorkshire record,
new to the vice-county. The carrion beetle Sciodrepoides watsoni, the rove beetle
Tachinus corticinus , the pollen beetle Meligethes nigrescens and the flower beetle Anaspis
humeralis were found. Mr Crossley collected the seed-weevil Bruchidius cisti from Broom,
and Mr Denton found Isomira murina commonly on Hawthorn. The most interesting
beetles were the iridescent green leaf beetles, Crytpocephalus aureolus, on Rockrose.
Near the entrance to the valley I found the yellow cranefly Limonia nigropunctata , the
fourth Yorkshire record, new to VC 61. Among the acalypterate flies collected was
Chamaemyia nigripalpis, a tiny silver-grey insect whose larvae feed on coccids. The
ichneumons included Heterischnus nigricollis (new to Yorkshire), Acrotomus lucidulus
(third Yorkshire record, new to VC 61), Scambus pomorum (fourth Yorkshire record,
new to VC 61), Exyston sponsorius and Alomya debellator (both new to VC 61).

Arachnology (C. J. Smith)

The wet vegetation hampered work, but we were able to record 28 species, most of them
common. The Gorse, however, yielded two more unusual species, Anyphaena accentuata

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and Dictyna latens. This is the eighth Yorkshire record since 1950 of the former (also
recorded this year on the Union’s excursion to Appleton le Moors), and the fifth
Yorkshire record since 1950 of the latter. Both species seem to have been more
widespread and common in Falconer’s days just after the turn of the century.

Flowering Plants and Ferns (D. R. Grant)

Members left the farm by a green lane descending to the dry chalk valley situated to the
north-west of the farm buildings. The cornfield adjacent to the lane contained some
common agricultural weeds, together with Papaver lecoqii. On the steep sides of the valley
Filipendula vulgaris , Primula veris, Helianthemum nummularium and Bromus erectus
were common. Some drier parts had Cerastium arvense, C. glomeratum , Aphanes arvensis
and Aira caryophyllea. Other interesting grasses here were Avenula pratensis , Koeleria
macrantha and Desmazeria rigida.

Many plants of Orchis mascula were seen in several places, some still in perfect
flowering condition reflecting the very late spring. Other orchids noted were Coelo-
glossum viride and Listera ovata. At the edge of the woodland were Viloa hirta and
Moehringia trinervia. In one place where scrub clearance was taking place, regenerating
plants included much Carduus nutans and a single Onopordum acanthium , whilst in the
grassland at the valley bottom Carex spicata was seen. Agricultural weed species in the
fields of peas and barley to the south of the farm were quite varied, the most interesting
being Legousia hybrida, Chaenorhinum minus and Lamium moluccellifolium.

In the final part of the day, members examined the dew-pond and track just north of the
farm. Potamogeton natans, Elodea canadensis. Ranunculus trichophyllus and Eleocharis
palustris grew in the pond, and a small colony of Galium mollugo was found beside the
track.

Plant Galls (J. Pearson)

Fifteen plant galls were recorded, quite a good list for this type of site. The most
interesting was that of the dipteron gall-midge Dasyneura acrophila on Ash. The round
gall, Jaapiella veronicae , on Germander Speedwell, is also caused by a dipteron
gall-midge. There was only one Oak of any size, and on this were found four galls, two of
which, the Artichoke Gall, Andricus fecundator, and the Marble Gall, A. kollari, were
galls from last year.

A complete list has been deposited with the recorder, Mr F. B. Stubbs.

Bryology (Miss J. Robertson)

The dry chalk south of the farm had a well developed moss flora. Common species around
buildings included: Bryum argenteum , B. capillare , Ceratodon purpureus, Funaria
hygrometrica , Tortula muralis and T. ruralis. On bare soil along arable field margins were:
Fissidens taxifolius, Barbula fallax , B. tophacea , B. unguiculata , Dicranella varia,
Phascum cuspidatum , Eurhynchium swartzii and Pohlia nutans. Hypnum cupressiforme ,
Calliergon cuspidatum and Homalothecium lutescens colonized an old chalk pit.

Open, steep, grassy hillsides produced: Ctenidium molluscum , Hylocomium splendens,
Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus , Pseudoscleropodium purum, Brachythecium rutabulum and
Cirriphyllum crassinervium. Where open scrub predominated, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus ,
Mnium hornum , Plagiomnium undulatum, Eurhynchium praelongum , Dicranum scopar-
ium, Atrichum undulatum and occasional Lophocolea bidentata carpeted the ground.

Epiphytes on living trees and decayed stumps included Hypnum cupressiforme var.
resupinatum , H. mammillatum, Amblystegium serpens, Aulacomnium androgynum,
Plagiolhecium denticulatum , Brachythecium velutinum, Orthodontium lineare, Dicrano-
weisia cirrata and the hepatic Lophocolea heterophylla. One or two sheltered old Elders in
mature deciduous woodland and in old hedgerows provided sites for fruiting Orthotrichum
affine, O. diaphanum, O. pulchellum and the hepatic Metzgeria furcata.

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Lichenology (D. H. Smith)

The only extensive areas of saxicolous lichens were on the walls of the farm outbuildings,
and consisted largely of Physcia adscendens and Xanthoria parietina, intermingled with
Caloplaca decipiens and C. flavescens and the ubiquitous Lecanora dispersa , though a few
concrete posts down the valley path held a horizontal layer of Phaeophyscia orbicularis
with X. parietina down the sides. Terricolous lichens such as Peltigera stood little chance
of gaining a foothold due to the blanket cover of lush vegetation, but a small patch of
Cladonia furcata had established itself on the north flanks of the main valley.

The mature Ash trees down the valley held the majority of lichens found. Most were
dominated by thalli of Evernia prunasti for the full length of the main trunks, but on some
Ramalina farinacea dominated, both species particularly robust, with little evidence of
distortion by pollution. Two or three trees bore extensive streaks of the orange-tinged
Chaenotheca ferruginea with unusually multi-furcate fruits, some stalks bearing up to ten
ascocarps. Cladonia coniocraea covered the bases of a number of trees. There were lesser
quantities, in order of abundance, of Pertusaria amara, P. pertusa, Parmelia glabratula , P.
sulcata , Phlyctis argena (extensively sorediate, with little of the usual bare patches),
Hypogymnia physodes (unusually sparse), Pseudevernia furfuracea (the chemical C+r
race, var. ceratea), Buellia punctata and Lepraria incana. Odd scattered thalli of the
yellow Xanthoria candelaria and juvenile Physcia tenella were also noted. One tree bore
the unmistakable bright yellow powdering of Chrysothrix candelaris in the bark crevices.
Other species of tree bore little lichen covering except for a small amount of Lecanora
conizaeoides . As a biological litmus, the lichen cover indicates a relatively moderate level
of atmospheric pollution in this site.

THRYBERGH (VC 63), 6 and 7 July (T. Higginbottom)

Twenty members attended on each day of the meeting, representing 11 societies, with the
local societies from Rotherham and Doncaster giving strong support. On a bright but
breezy Saturday morning the Senior Ranger of Thrybergh Country Park, Mr M. Woods,
welcomed members to the area and gave an informative talk about the park. A sketch
map of the area was provided showing the ten sites for study with their access points
marked.

The urban fringe around Thrybergh offered a number of contrasting sites: secondary
woodland on Magnesian Limestone, Coal Measures woodland near Silver Wood Colliery,
regenerating vegetation beside disused reservoirs, the parkland and fishing ponds at
Ravenfield Park, a large area of open water on the edge of Thrybergh Tip, and the rarely
visited site between the River Don and the Thrybergh Bar Mill, owned by the British Steel
Corporation.

Sunday was sunny and warm. Members were led in convoy into the BSC site, where
they were welcomed by the BSC security staff and escorted to a parking space. The party
walked along the tow-path beside the River Don, which led to an open area in front of the
bar mill.

At 5.00 pm on Saturday, a brief meeting was held in the fishermen’s hut beside the
reservoir of the Country Park, for the benefit of members who were unable to attend on
both days. The Chairman, Mr W. A. Ely, took the chair for this meeting. On Sunday the
President, Mr R. Crossley, took the chair for a full meeting at which members presented
reports. The President proposed a vote of thanks to the Divisional Secretary for
organizing the meeting and providing cups of tea. The Divisional Secretary proposed a
vote of thanks to the many landowners and national corporations who had given
permission for members to visit the various sites. He also thanked Mr M. Woods, the
Senior Ranger of Thrybergh Country Park, for his help in arranging the visit and for the
advice given by the wardens of the Country Park. After thanking the members for their
interesting and informative reports, the Divisional Secretary went on to praise the local
societies, the Doncaster Naturalists’ Society and the Rotherham Naturalists’ Society, for
the way their members had supported the meeting, and for the valuable individual

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Yorkshire Naturalists' Union Excursions in 1985

contributions made by members from these societies, some of whom had presented
reports to a YNU field meeting for the first time.

Ornithology (S. Holliday)

Records were received for a variety of habitats and a creditable total of 60 species was
recorded.

There were several suitable habitats for water birds, but it was disappointing to see so
few broods of waterfowl. Disturbance, including egg theft, is known to be a local problem,
but nevertheless Little Grebes were found with three young at Firsby Reservoir, whilst at
Thrybergh Tip several pairs of Little Grebes and also Great Crested Grebes were awaiting
repeat clutches of young. Of interest also at the Tip were three sub-adult Grey Herons,
which appeared to be summering in this part of the Don Valley, together with a male
Ruddy Duck, a species which is just establishing itself in the area.

The banks of the River Don produced sightings of Little Ringed Plover and Kingfisher,
but no trace of a former Sand Martin colony.

The scrubby edges of both wetland and woodland sites held a varied selection of
passerines including Whitethroat and Lesser Whitethroat, sightings of the latter surpris-
ingly being more frequent. This warbler appears to have enjoyed a particularly good
season. Woodland birds, however, proved difficult to find, and some species were
undoubtedly overlooked. Willow Tits were seen in the limestone woodland of Hooton
Cliff Wood, but the Marsh Tit, which has its stronghold in the woodlands of a
neighbouring limestone belt a few miles to the east, was absent.

Mollusca (P. Lee)

The weather conditions were not ideal for mollusca, but despite the sunshine various sites
produced a total of 33 different species.

The two most profitable sites were Hooton Cliff Wood and the waste ground beside the
River Don by the BSC’s Thrybergh Bar Mill. The most interesting find in Hooton Cliff
Wood was Balea perversa , a widespread but declining species, characteristic in Yorkshire
of dry, rocky places, only occasionally found in ground litter as it was at this site. Among
other species found in the wood was Oxychilus helveticus , which shows a black body band
through the shell close to the mouth.

The interesting finds by the Don were typical of disturbed and waste areas where
species have been accidentally introduced by man. Oxychilus draparnaudi was found here,
as was the slug Deroceras caruanae.

Entomology (W. A. Ely)

It was pleasant to have a hot, dry weekend for this meeting, and the insects were
correspondingly rewarding. I had a quick sweep around the marshy margin of Thrybergh
Reservoir’s north bank and found the marsh fly Colobaea punctata , whose larvae feed on
snails. Mr E. Smith and Mr M. L. Denton spent a full day at this site and collected a large
haul of beetles. The Reservoir banks were disappointing, but the grassland on the
north-east produced many unusual species, including the ground beetles Acupalpus
dubius and Bembidion clarki, the dung beetles Cercyon marinus , C. convexiusculus and C.
ustulatus, the rove beetles Carpelimus corticinus, Stenus canaliculatus , Philonthus
micantoides, Gabrius pennatus and G. nigritulus , Myllaena brevicornis , Atheta aquatica ,
A. celata, A. nigra , A. coriaria , A. hygrobia , A. hypnorum and A. trinotata and Oxypoda
amoena and O. elongatula. The scarce soldier beetle Cantharis paludosa was found; the
weevils included Notaris bimaculatus , Mecinus pyraster , Amalus scortillum , Apion ervi
and A. loti and Rhinocus perpendicularis , and other interesting beetles included Atomaria
apicalis, Ephistemus globulus and Corticaria impressa.

A group of entomologists visited Ravenfield Park, where Dr R. Key found the beetles
Cyphon variabilis , Bruchidius ater and Galerucella lineola. The grassland had the Green
Tiger Beetle running and flying, the fly Chamaemyia aridella, whose larvae predate

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Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1985

coccids, and the gall wasp Synergus apicalis , whose larvae are inquilines in the gall of
Andricus quercus-radicis . The margins of the pond produced the rare weevil Ceuthorhyn-
chus angulosus , and the dry bed of Burcliff Pond had the ground bug Cymus claviculus,
the shore bug Saldula pallipes , the rove beetle Stenus biguttatus in abundance, and the
nitidulid beetle Kateretes rufilabris.

A brief visit to Thrybergh Park produced the flower beetle Anaspis thoracica and the fly
Psila persimilis.

On Sunday morning we investigated the banks of the River Don, and interesting insects
here included the click beetle Athous hirtus (unusual away from the limestone), the pollen
beetles Meligethes obscurus and Brachypterolus pulicarius (the latter on Toadflax), >the
ladybird Adonia variegata (a scarce insect usually restricted to coastal dunes), the flower
beetle Mordellistena pumila (scarce in Northern England), the weevils Apion hookeri and
Ty chius piccirostris , the small black cranefly Limonia morio , the fruit flies Terrellia
serratulae (with clear wings) and Urophora quadrifasciata (with four black bands on each
wing) and Chamaemyia paludosa. This fly is a Grade 2 national rarity which had only been
recorded from the fens of Cambridgeshire, and this river bank was clearly the wrong
habitat! The ichneumons included two uncommon species parasitic on hoverflies,
Diplazon annulatus and Sussaba pulchella. Mr P. Kendall travelled further along the river
and found the ground beetle Stenolophus mixtus and the weevils Rhynchites interpunctatus
and Hyper a nigrirostris .

The entomological contingent then investigated Whinney Hill marsh, next to the BSC
land, where several of the riverbank species were found again, including the Chamaemyia.
This marsh was a far more suitable habitat for this insect, and the previous specimen had
probably come from here. Mr R. Crossley found the Pied Shield Bug on Lamium album
near the river, and I found the ground bug Cymus glandicolor in the marsh. Mr Kendall
collected the ground beetle Bembidion clarki and the rove beetle Stenus nanas, while I
found the pollen beetle Meligethes difficilis, the marsh fly Limnia paludicola and the
ichneumon Collyria trichophthalma , a parasite of stem-breeding sawflies. As we were
leaving the marsh, I noticed a fresh Red-belted Clearwing moth hovering around one of
the cut Birch stumps.

Our final visit was to the marsh at Lodge Farm, near Kilnhurst. Mr Kendall found the
ground beetle Dyschirius luedersi and Philonthus quisquiliarius . I collected the dung
beetle Cercyon marinus, the rove beetles Carpelimus bilineatus , Lathrobium elongatum
and L. quadratum , Atheta hygrabia and Tachyusa atra , the soldier beetle Cantharis
thoracica , the pollen beetle Meligethes erythropus, the caterpillar of the Grey Chi moth.
Antitype chi , and the ichneumon Tryphon trochanteratus .

The entomologists present made a significant contribution to our knowledge of this
area’s wildlife, and found many insects which were new to the area or were significant for
the county.

Other Arthropods (P. Lee)

The most interesting find was the small white woodlouse Haplophthalmus mengei from
Hooton Cliff Wood. This soil-living species is badly under-recorded.

Flowering Plants and Ferns (D. R. Grant)

Members first examined the shore-line of Thrybergh Reservoir. There was only a limited
flora here due to the steep, stone-built sides of the reservoir, although there were many
plants of Carex hirta in the damper areas. The most interesting species found here was
Polygonum amphibium.

Firsby Reservoir was the next site visited. Here a lower water table gave a much more
varied flora. There were large stands of Carex acutiformis and Equisetumfluviatile. Silaum
silaus and Ophioglossum vulgatum were growing in the damp grassland, while on the dry
banks Galium verum and Carex spicata were found in small quantities. In the open water
was Myriophyllum spicatum, and along the hedgerow of the lanes leading up to the

108 Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union Excursions in 1985

reservoir were Cornus sanguinea , Acer campestre , Lycium chinense and Dipsacus
fullonum.

In a small area by the River Don at Kilnhurst Bridge another colony of Carex spicata
was found, together with Saponaria officinalis and Glyceria plicata.

Puccinellia distans was found on the roadside verge of the B6090 road to Kilnhurst. A
rough bank with much Gorse and Broom was examined. In the more open areas there was
a small quantity of Pastinaca sativa. Apera spica-venti was growing in a thick band at the
edge of the adjacent cornfield.

Aira praecox and Hypericum humifusum were found on a dry bank in the Thrybergh
Tip area. Large stands of Potamogeton crispus and Myriophyllum spicatum were growing
in the open water. The best find here was the grass Vulpia myuros. In the area adjoining
Rotherham Golf Course Humulus lupulus , Euonymus europaeus and Ranunculus
hederaceus were discovered.

Sunday morning was spent on the banks of the River Don in the BSC site at Thrybergh
Bar Mill. Although much of the ground had been disturbed, there were plenty of common
species. Senecio squalidus and Reynoutria japonica were here, but not in great quantity.
The most interesting plants found here were Stachys palustris , Desmazeria rigida , Senecio
erucifolius and Centaurium erythraea. Near the entrance to the Steel Works there was a
large colony of Foeniculum vulgare.

Just to the east of Hooton Roberts village there is an outlier of Magnesian Limestone,
isolated from the larger bands of this rock at Conisbrough, a few miles away. Plants found
in this area were Clematis vitalba , Rhamnus catharticus , Euonymus europaeus , Eupator-
ium cannabinum and Crataegus laevigata.

The fishing ponds in the Ravenfield valley were in the process of being refurbished and
deepened, but still present here were Nuphar lutea, Potamogeton natans, Elodea
canadensis and Bidens tripartita. On the marshy ground were large quantities of Isolepis
setacea and Ranunculus sceleratus. Symphytum officinale and Lactuca serriola were
growing on waste ground near the car park.

Plant Galls (J. A. Pearson)

A large area was covered during the two days of the meeting, but surprisingly only about
20 different galls were recorded.

The two most interesting discoveries were the mite gall Eriophyes iteina on a Salix leaf
and the ‘truffle gall’ found on the root of Quercus. The ‘truffle gall’, caused by the gall
wasp Andricus quercus-radicus , was discovered by the mycologists in their searches for
fungi in the leaf litter. Both galls were new records for the 10 km square SK 49.

Another interesting record was the lepidopteran gall Mompha nodicolella, which was
discovered on the stem of Chamaenerion angustifolium. A stem gall was also found on
Artemisia vulgaris , caused by the gall midge Paroxyna misella. A plant of Hypochoeris
radicata served as host for the gall wasp Phanacis hypochaeridis .

Mycology (R. Taylor)

On 6 July Firsby Reservoir, Ravenfield Park and Hooton Cliff Wood were visited. The
following day investigations continued in the area by the River Don near BSC’s Thrybergh
Bar Mill, and also at Silverwood and the adjoining Gulling Wood.

Two Myxomycetes were found: Arcyria nutans , which was discovered on Quercus
debris in Silverwood, and Fuligo septica , which was abundant throughout both Silverwood
and Gulling Wood.

The Ascomycetes collected from the BSC site were Dasyscyphus niveus , D. acutipilus ,
Xylaria polymorpha and Lasiosphaeria spermoides , this latter also being found in Hooton
Cliff Wood.

The moist conditions in the days before the meeting produced various Basidiomycete
fruitings. Interesting finds included Russula atropurpurea , found in Silverwood, and
Leccinum scabrum, discovered in the Firsby Reservoir site. The unmistakable odour of
Phallus impudicus led us to a site in Gulling Wood, where, beneath Fagus sylvatica,
several mature specimens were found, together with many large ‘eggs’.

Book Reviews

109

Bryology (C. Wall)

Three sites were visited on 7 July, the first being waste land in the British Steel
Corporation works at Thrybergh. Here it was surprising to see Drepanocladus aduncus , a
species normally associated with an aquatic habitat, growing alongside Homalothecium
lutescens high on a disused slag bank. Nearer the steelworks many common bryophytes
were flourishing in the humid atmosphere around a leaky steam valve, including Bryum
bicolor and the thalloid hepatic Marchantia polymorpha.

Species noted at the second site, a steep-sided drain at Ravenfield Park, included
Amblystegium tenax , Rhynchostegium riparioides and the hepatics Conocephalum con-
icum and Pellia endiviifolia.

Finally, the Magnesian Limestone ridge in Hooton Cliff Wood yielded the typically
calcicole species Tortula subulata , Neckera complanata , Thamnobryum alopecurum ,
Homalothecium sericeum , Taxiphyllum wissgrillii and the hepatic Plagiochila porelloides.

I am grateful to Mr T. Blocked for providing confirmation of the more difficult species,
and also for his comments on Amblystegium tenax and Homalothecium lutescens , both of
which are scarce in South Yorkshire.

BOOK REVIEWS

Snakes of the World by Chris Mattison. Pp. 190, with 12 maps and 100 plates (mainly in
colour). Blandford Press, 1986. £10.95.

This book is an introduction to the snakes of the world written by an author who has
spent many years studying and lecturing on them. It is not an identification guide,
although 55 pages are devoted to a review of the families of snakes, which is rather more
extensive than one would expect for an introductory text, but an introduction to the
natural history of snakes, dealing with their characteristics, colour, reproduction, feeding
habits, defence mechanisms, behaviour and ecology. Clearly in so few pages no topic can
be presented in depth but some interesting observations are made, such as the inability to
feed in the later stages of pregnancy which becomes a problem for temperate species
where there is a need to build up a food reserve before low winter temperatures force
them into hibernation. Such females have barren years to replenish food reserves, thereby
striking a balance between their own well-being and the need to produce offspring. The
colour plates seem to be very good and make this book excellent value for money and a
good introduction to the suborder Serpentes.

MEA

Sharks of the World by Rodney Steel. Pp. 192, illustrated with line drawings, b/w and
colour photographs. Blandford, 1985. £10.95.

Familiar to everyone, yet widely misunderstood and misrepresented, sharks have long
been regarded as mindless killers, whose physiological simplicity has enabled them to
survive with little change for over 350 million years.

Exciting new researches, made possible by modern free-diving equipment, accompa-
nied by developments in underwater photography, have provided numerous revelations.
Rodney Steel eloquently marshals these latest discoveries, demonstrating that sharks are
anything but primitive, have surprisingly large brains, sensory perception of totally
unexpected sensitivity and complex behaviour patterns.

Methods by which the world’s numerous species of sharks exploit environments as
diverse as inland lakes, coral reefs and ocean deeps are revealed, and feeding techniques
ranging from sieving plankton and unearthing molluscs to attacking prey as large as sea
lions are investigated.

110

Book Reviews

The 11 chapters deal in a clear and lively manner with such aspects of palaeontological
history, evolution, anatomy, feeding and breeding adaptations. They present much new
scientific data, enriched with fascinating anecdotes and allusions from ethnography, myth
and folklore culled from a wide literature. The chapter entitled The Human Toll’ is
journalistic rather than analytical, pandering to the bizarre media-created fascination with
shark-human interactions, but it will doubtless sell copies.

This is not a systematically laid-out textbook. The chapter headings, designed to excite,
lead to a rather jumbled presentation, but the wealth of fascinating data old and new
makes compelling and informative reading. Anyone, from the shark enthusiast to the
general naturalist, cannot fail to learn much.

The book includes a checklist of sharks living and extinct, a glossary, an excellent guide
to further reading and a full bibliography.

CAH

Natural Selection in the Wild by John A. Endler. Monographs in Population Biology no.
21. Pp. 336, including diagrams. Princeton University Press, 1986. £28.80 hardback,
£10.20 paperback.

Natural selection in the wild is subjected to a most thorough and masterly scrutiny in
Endler’s book. The eight chapters range through an introduction; philosophical com-
ments; methods for detection of natural selection in the wild; problems in such detection;
direct demonstration of natural selection in the wild; estimation and distribution of
selection coefficients and differentials; and assessment of the importance of natural
selection in evolution. The amount of exemplification is indicated by the necessity for a
species index (incorporating an English name glossary) as well as a subject index. The
extent of the literature quoted is evident from the 766 references provided. This book is
destined to become a landmark in the study of evolutionary mechanisms.

DJH

British Pyralid Moths: A Guide to their Identification by Barry Goater. Pp. 175, 9 colour
plates, including frontispiece. Harley Books, Colchester, Essex, 1986. £18.95.

As is stated at the beginning of the Introduction, ‘The object of this book is to help
naturalists and conservationists to identify the species of British Pyralidae.’ With this book
Mr Goater has supplied a long felt need since its predecessor, Dr B. P. Beirne’s British
Pyralid and Plume Moths , first published in 1952, has long been out of print and is
extremely difficult to obtain.

It is not, however, an updated version of that work for it omits the Pterophoridae and
Alucitidae (the plume moths) and the treatment and information given for the Pyralid
species is quite different. Although both books contain colour plates, Beirne supplied keys
to families, genera and species and dispensed with descriptions of the moths in the text to
concentrate on descriptions of larvae and feeding habits. The present work relies to a
greater extent on the plates for an initial diagnosis but this is supported in the text by
comprehensive descriptions of the moths with emphasis on distinguishing characteristics
to enable separation of similar species. Additionally, text figures by Mr R. Dyke illustrate
differences in wing pattern, venation or genitalia for some species and these are well
executed and of excellent clarity.

Additional information is given on times of emergence, larval habits (but there are no
descriptions of larvae) and distribution within the British Isles and Channel Islands. The
latter information is necessarily brief but it is disappointing that for some species it is quite
inaccurate so far as Yorkshire and the north of England are concerned. For instance
Homoeosoma sinuella (Fabr.) is still given as occurring from Norfolk southwards (as it was
by Beirne), whereas there are published records from Derbyshire and Yorkshire where it
is a fairly common resident moth in the Doncaster and Rotherham areas. Likewise, the
distribution given for Myelois cribrella (Hubn.) also echoes Beirne (Lincolnshire and
Herefordshire southwards) despite the fact that it was first recorded in Yorkshire in 1948
and is now a common moth at least as far north as York (Ent. Gazette (1983) 34:2).

Ill

Book Reviews

However it is to the plates that most users of this book will turn first and 272 examples of
208 species are depicted on eight plates, reproduced from photographs taken by Mr G. B.
Senior. These can only be described as superb and the bluish background chosen enables
details of pale cilia and pale winged species to be clearly seen. Additionally, the
frontispiece consists of reproductions of colour photographs by M. W. F. Tweedie
illustrating the characteristic resting positions of 12 species in ten sub-families of the
Pyralidae.

The book as a whole is attractively produced with a clear typeface and is remarkably
free of errors of any kind; however, the specimen of Acentria ephemerella (D. & S.)
illustrated on plate 3 and purporting to be a male appears to be a female.

This book is more than an identification guide and is wholeheartedly recommended to
all with the slightest interest in Pyralid moths as well as to the more knowledgeable
lepidopterist. It will undoubtedly give added impetus to the study of these attractive
insects.

HEB

The Best of ‘BB\ An anthology illustrated by D. J. Watkins-Pitchford. Pp. x + 278.
Michael Joseph, 1985. £12.95.

There can be very few people with an interest in wildlife and country pursuits who have
not read and enjoyed at least some of BB’s beautifully written books and articles, which
have appeared regularly since 1938. As a child, one of my very favourite books was his
The Little Grey Men , a thoroughly credible and down-to-earth fantasy, even if that seems
a contradiction in terms, and as I grew older, I came to love his more factual works on the
countryside. The sportsman-naturalist is perhaps a dying breed, but even those to whom
hunting, shooting and fishing are anathema must gain pleasure from his acutely observed
portrayals of wildlife and landscape, all the more so as many of those things he wrote of
over the last fifty years have sadly disappeared for ever.

This anthology contains extracts from 30 of his books, divided into five sections: ‘A
child alone’, ‘A fishing man’, ‘A shooting man’, ‘A wandering man’ and ‘A happy
countryman’, illustrated, as are all his books, by his own scraperboard illustrations.
Thoroughly recommended, especially as bedside or holiday reading.

YAH

Mountain Navigation Techniques by Kevin Walker. Pp. 160, with numerous black and
white photographs and diagrams. Constable, 1986. £5.95.

This book is no better and no worse than others of its kind. The author is sufficiently
honest to stress on the first page that ‘there is no substitute for practical experience’ and
those already capable of moving confidently among the hills will be amazed that a book of
this length is necessary to master a few relatively simple techniques. Basically, the book
deals first with map reading, interpretation and route finding before moving on to compass
techniques, time and distance estimates, and poor-visibility navigation.

Orienteering and the Silva protractor-compass have raised the standard of navigation in
this country out of all recognition; it is only those who are unfamiliar with these who will
learn much from this book. Aiming off, attack points, handrails and relocation procedures
are all worth knowing about. Most naturalists will be familiar with grid references — along
the corridor and up the stairs — but it is useful to be reminded that a grid reference is a
square, not a point. It is less enlightening to learn that accurate map interpretation
depends on CROOK (Concentration, Reasoning, Observation, Organization, Knowl-
edge). This is an example of the padding amongst which the beginner will find nuggets of
useful advice.

OLG

112

Book Reviews

In the Rainforest by Catherine Caufield. Pp. 304. Picador. 1986. £3.95.

Raipforests cover less than 2 per cent of the earth’s surface yet they provide a habitat for
nearly half of the world’s flora and fauna. In the Rainforest however is neither a review
of jungle wildlife nor an account of the author’s encounters with plants and animals in the
rainforests of the world. Wildlife is mentioned of course, but the book is essentially about
man’s impact on the forest.

Catherine Caufield is an American journalist who has visited tropical rainforests from
Queensland to South America and was appalled by the misguided exploitation she found.
The problems range from simple mismanagement to greed for fast profits.

In the Rainforest is a clear, jargon-free account of what we are doing to the most
vulnerable and diverse habitat on earth. The book should be read not only by naturalists
but also by politicians and industrialists in the hope that this wanton destruction might yet
be stopped at the eleventh hour.

JKS

A Guide to the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. A Constable Guide by Christopher John
Wright. Pp. 391, including 66 sketch maps and 15 town plans, plus 24 plates. Constable.
1986. £7.95.

Wales is bounded by sea to the north, west and south and this long coastline provides a
superb range of scenery and ecological habitats. The formal promenades of the north
Wales coastal resorts contrast with the wild beauty of the Lleyn peninsula or the oil flares,
steel mills and shipping ports of south Wales. The coastline of Pembrokeshire encapsu-
lates the whole Welsh experience for it includes precipitous cliffs, a major oil port in
Milford Haven and the charm of Tenby town. This coast was designated as Britain’s fifth
and smallest national park in 1952 and after years of negotiations for new rights of way,
together with the construction of nearly 500 stiles and over 100 footbridges, in May 1970 it
was opened as Britain’s third long-distance footpath.

Christopher Wright has provided a most welcome guide to those wishing to walk this
path. The book begins with a general survey with useful advice for all users, followed by
descriptions of the scenery, geology, flora and fauna of the coast. After several more
pages devoted to the all-important topic of safety, the reader is presented with detailed
descriptions of the coastal path, taken section by section. Detailed maps show the route
and are annotated with both scenic, geologic and ecological comments and, equally
important for the down-to-earth types, locations of toilets, cafes, car parks and camp
sites. The written descriptions are equally catholic, ranging from a most useful guide for St
David’s cathedral to, e.g., a note that the fossil Didymograptus bifidus was first discovered
in the Ordovician sediments in Trwyncastell near Abereiddy village.

The maps are clearly drawn, as are the town plans, and the volume is nicely illustrated
by the author’s own photographs. My major area of criticism does, however, concern
those maps. One has to hunt to find (p. 14) that the scale is 1:20000: they would have
been much improved by incorporating a conventional scale line and north point. A
general colour topographic map at, say, 1:250000 would have been a useful addition.
Nevertheless, despite these criticisms, the book should prove indispensable for both the
casual and serious walker of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path and, weighing just 1 lb and
measuring only 7x5x1 inch, it really is a pocket book.

BED

The New Concise British Flora by W. Keble Martin, with revised text by Douglas H. Kent,
and foreword by H.R.H. The Duke of Edinburgh. Pp. 247, including 94 pages of coloured
illustrations and 6 pages of line drawings. Mermaid Books/Michael Joseph and Ebury
Press, 1986. £7.95 paperback.

A reissue in paperback of the third edition of this very popular work (see Naturalist 107:
150) with no consequent loss in the quality of the distinctive Keble Martin plates.
Excellent value, as we have come to expect from this well-produced Mermaid series.

YORKSHIRE MAMMALS

edited by
M. J. Delany

256 pp, 70 line drawings and maps, £3.95 plus 55p postage
and packing. Available from School of Environmental
Science, The University, Bradford, BD7 1DP.

The Entomologist’s Record

and Journal of Variation

A bimonthly illustrated magazine devoted mainly to the
Lepidoptera of the British Isles.

Annual Subscription — £15.00

Write for specimen copy to P. A. Sokoloff, 4 Steep Close,
Orpington, Kent enclosing £1.50. This amount will be taken
into account in the first year’s subscription.

South-East Ireland

Botanists’ paradise in shadow of Mount Leinster on River Slaney,
approximately 1 hour from car ferry. Secluded, well-appointed
self-catering chalets overlooking river, fully equipped, with
covered verandah and barbeque. Suit couple or small family

Details from

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Phone 010-353-54-77339

Printed by the Leeds University Printing Service

ISSN 0028-0771

The Birds of Yorkshire

JOHN R.MATHER

The author, John R. Mather, has been interested
in birds all his life and is currendy the President of
many Naturalists’ Sociedes, both in Yorkshire and
nationally. This life-long dedication is evident in
this book which deals not only with the many
species of birds in Yorkshire but also with their
relation to the environment There is a discussion
of the geological and topographical features of
Yorkshire and the ever-changing use of land with
a bearing on the ways in which these affect the
development of the bird life within the county.
Also included is a classified list giving detailed
accounts of over 400 species and information
about the sites of permanent observation. The
book is lavishly illustrated throughout with line
drawings and photographs, the latter showing
habitats and important birds seen in recent years.
Prov. £40.00 0-7099-3510-2 612 pages May 86

Line drawings and black and white photographs
Croom Helm Ltd., Provident House,

Burrell Row, Beckenham, Kent BR3 1AT.

—

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October — December 1986

The

Number 979
Volume 111

I nC ~| • vonune m

N atur alist

A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY FOR THE NORTH OF ENGLAND

Two new species of scuttle fly from Malham Tarn — R. H. L.

Disney

Notes on the leech, Helobdella stagnalis , as a hyperparasite of
the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis , in a Lake District
tarn — P. A. Tullett and J. M. Elliott

Breeding biology of Ravens in two upland regions of North
Wales — P. J. Dare

Two interesting British lichens: Acarospora umbilicata new to
Yorkshire and Polysporina dubia new to England — A.

Henderson

Botanical records made by William Gawthorp of Ripley in the
eighteenth century — R. D. Cundall

Published by the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union

Editor M. R. D. Seaward, MSc, PhD, DSc, FLS, The University, Bradford

The Lepidoptera of Yorkshire

‘The Naturalist’ is available in microform

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113

TWO NEW SPECIES OF SCUTTLE FLY (DIPTERA, PHORIDAE) FROM
MALHAM TARN, NORTH YORKSHIRE

R. H. L. DISNEY

Field Studies Council Research Fellow, University Department of Zoology, Cambridge,

CB2 3EJ

Megaselia giraudii (Egger) is a widely distributed species of scuttle fly whose larvae are
polyphagous saprophages (Robinson 1971, Disney 1979). However it is a somewhat
variable species and there has long been confusion regarding the precise distinction
between it and a number of related species. The publication of a key to ‘der Abteilung VI’
of the palaearctic Megaselia species (Schmitz and Delage, 1981) has allowed solution of a
number of problems. M. densior Schmitz was added to the British List (Disney 1985a) and
M. kurahashii Disney (1985b) added to the palaearctic list. It should be noted, in passing,
that M. chapmani Borgmeier (1967) was omitted from the key. Furthermore specimens
from England attributed to M. septentrionalis (Schmitz) were shown to be M. badia
Schmitz (Disney 1985a).

Despite these clarifications, specimens of the M. giraudii complex were continuing to
prove difficult to assign to a particular species with confidence. In view of this a range of
type material has been assembled and re-mounted on slides. Examination of this material
has led to recognition of two new synonyms, the rescue of one species from synonymy,
and discovery of two new species from Yorkshire. The justification for these conclusions is
given below.

Megaselia breviseta (Wood 1912) (Fig. IB)

Wood (1912) based his description on a single male collected ‘at Mainswood, 29/6/1 T.
This is mounted alongside two other specimens in his collection. The data label reads
‘Mains Wd. 29.6.11. Stoke Wd. 29.5.12, 3.6.12’. A subsequent BM(NH) label reads
‘cotypes’. I have remounted all three specimens on slides. Two of these agree with
Wood’s description in having relatively large antennae, and I have labelled one of these as
the lectotype. The third specimen has relatively small antennae and proves to be M.
correlata (see below).

Megaselia correlata (Schmitz, 1918) (Fig. 1C)

giraudii auctt., nec (Egger, 1862). Misidentification.

Borgmeier (1965) synonymized this species with M. giraudii on the grounds that ‘Mr
Beyer informed me that correlata . . . described from Europe is a new synonym of
giraudii'. I have remounted the holotype of M. correlata. Not only will it not run to A/.
giraudii in Schmitz and Delage’s key, but it lacks the notopleural cleft characteristic of M.
giraudii (see below). In the key it runs to couplet 47 (page 676). It differs from M.
breviseta and M. rubida (Schmitz) by its smaller antennae. In M. correlata the diameter of
the third segment is less than 0.12 mm. In M. breviseta it is more than 0.14 mm, and larger
still in M. rubida. In addition in M. breviseta the hair at the base of vein 3 is vestigial or
absent. In M. correlata it is well developed, being as strong as the costal cilia at the level of
the humeral cross vein. The terminal hairs of the anal tube in the male are curiously
flattened and twisted in the middle third in M. breviseta (Fig. IB) but are normal in M.
correlata (Fig. 1C).

Apart from Wood’s specimen (misidentified as M. breviseta ) from Stoke Wood,
Herefordshire, I have a male collected from Hayley Wood, Cambridgeshire (Grid ref.
52/2953) by D. M. Unwin 30 June/15 July 1980 (in malaise trap). There are undoubtedly
other specimens in collections wrongly labelled as M. giraudii.

Naturalist 111 (1986)

FIGURE 1

Megaselia males. A, M. giraudii notopleuron of left side (S = prothoracic spiracle, M =
mesopleuron, nc = notopleural cleft, N = notopleural bristles, T = tegula near base of
wing). B, M. breviseta hypopygium from left side. C, M. correlata hypopygium from left

side. (Scale bars = 0.1 mm)

115

FIGURE 2

Megaselia males. Hypopygia viewed from left side. A, M. densior. B, M. malhamensis .

(Scale bars = 0.1 mm)

116

Two New Species of Scuttle fly (Diptera, Phoridae)

Megaselia giraudii (Egger, 1862) (Figs 1A and 4A)
rata (Collin (in Wood), 1908)
dyari (Malloch, 1912).

I have examined the type series of M. giraudii , which are all females, and have designated
a lectotype. This is indistinguishable from a female caught in copula with a male, which is
itself indistinguishable from Wood’s males of M. rata , these males have a distinct
notopleural cleft in the place of the anterior notopleural bristle (Fig. 1A). I have also
examined the holotype male of M. dyari , and can confirm the synonymy with M. rata , and
hence with M. giraudii.

The notopleural cleft will immediately distinguish males of M. giraudii from all related
species except M. albicans (Wood) and two new species (M. malhamensis and M.
parnassia) described below, although in M. malhamensis the cleft is weakly developed.

The principal difference between M. albicans and M. giraudii is that in the former
species the male cerci are relatively broad and each bears more than 1 1 hairs (Fig. 3A). In
M. giraudii (and related species - see below) the cerci are relatively narrow and bear less
than 11 hairs (Fig. 4A).

Megaselia malhamensis n. sp. (Fig. 2B)

Type locality

England, Malham Tarn, North Yorkshire
Type material

Holotype cf At window of Old Farm (Grid ref. 34/887674), Malham Tarn, North
Yorkshire, 31 August, 1975, R. H. L. Disney. Deposited in collection of author.
Etymology

The species is named after the type locality.

Description

Only male known. HEAD: Frons broader than high with 50-75 hairs. Lower supra-
antennal bristles less robust and shorter than upper pair. Antials about midway between
upper supra-antennals and antero-laterals, which are a little higher on the frons.
Pre-ocellars wider apart than upper supra-antennals and a little wider apart than distance
between each and a medio-lateral bristle. Pre-ocellars only very slightly lower on frons
than medio-laterals.

Proboscis with simple labella and pale labrum. Palps pale brownish with short bristles at
most 1.2 x maximum width of palp. Third antennal segment brown with brownish arista.
THORAX: Brown, being darker on top. Notopleuron with two strong bristles behind and
a long, somewhat inconspicuous, notopleural cleft in front. Mesopleuron bare. Scutellum
with a posterior pair of bristles which are longer (almost 2x) and stronger than the
anterior pair of bristles, which are themselves longer (almost 2x) than the finer hairs at
rear of scutum.

ABDOMEN: Tergites 1-6 dark brown with very short sparse hairs, apart from those at
rear of 6. Venter dusky with hairs on segments 3-6, but only conspicuous on 6.
Hypopygium as Fig. 2B, being brown with yellowish anal tube.

LEGS: Largely yellowish to pale yellowish brown, apart from apical regions of hind femur
and dorsal face of hind tibia, which are brown. Tarsal segments of front leg slightly shorter
than 4, hairs below basal half of hind femur include 5-6 which are longer than those of
antero-ventral row of distal half. Postero-dorsals of hind tibia somewhat spine-like in
lower half.

WINGS: Length 1.58-1.59 mm. Costal index 0.43-0.44. Costal ratios 3.22:1.43:1. Costal
cilia 0.10-0.11 mm. Veins yellowish brown. Vein Sc fades away in distal half. A minute
hair at base of vein 3 (only 0.02 mm long). Three bristles on axillary ridge. Membrane
slightly brownish tinged. Haltere with dark stem and yellow knob.

AFFINITIES: In the keys of Schmitz and Delage (1981) this species runs to couplet 38 (p.
675). It can be readily distinguished from M. densior and M. giraudii by the details of the
hypopygium (cf. Fig. 2B with 2A and 4A). In particular the epandrium bears hairs which

117

FIGURE 3

Megaselia males. Hypopygia viewed from left side. A, M. albicans. B, M. septentrionalis.

(Scale bars = 0.1 mm)

118

FIGURE 4

Megaselia males. Hypopygia viewed from left side. A, M. giraudii. B, M. parnassia

(Scale bars - 0.1 mm)

119

Two New Species of Scuttle fly (Diptera, Phoridae)

are all weaker than those on the cerci and the fine hairs on the posterior process of the left
side of the hypandrium are directed apically and are relatively short. The yellowish legs,
particularly the femora, will distinguish M. malhamensis from many related species.

Megaselia parnassia n. sp. (Fig. 4B)
giraudii Disney, 1980, nec (Egger, 1862). Misidentification.

Type locality

England, Malham Tarn, North Yorkshire.

Type material

Holotype cf At flower of Parnassia palustris, West Fen (Grid ref. 34/883672), Malham
Tarn, North Yorkshire, 11 September 1975, R. H. L. Disney. Deposited in collection of
author.

Etymology

The species is named after the flower at which the holotype was caught.

Description

Only male known: HEAD: Frons brown with about 80 hairs. Lower supra-antennals
shorter than upper and both pairs much shorter than rest of frontal bristles. Antials about
midway between antero-laterals and upper supra-antennals and a little lower on the frons.
Pre-ocellars wider apart than upper supra-antennals but closer to each other than either is
to a medio-lateral. All four of these bristles in a more or less straight transverse row.
Proboscis with simple labella and brown labrum. Palps pale brownish with 7 short bristles.
The longest bristle at most 1.4 x maximum width of palp. Third antennal segment and
arista brown.

THORAX: Brown, being darker on top. Notopleuron with two strong bristles behind and
a notopleural cleft in front. Mesopleuron bare. Scutellum with a posterior pair of bristles,
which are longer (about 1.7 x) and more robust than the anterior pair, which are clearly
longer and stronger than hairs of scutum.

ABDOMEN: Tergites 1-6 dark brown with very short, sparse hairs except at sides of 2
and the clearly longer ones at posterior margin of 6. Venter dusky with hairs on segments
3-6. Hypopygium as Fig. 4B. Generally dark brown with brownish yellow anal tube.
LEGS: Generally brown, with the first pair being a little yellowish. Last two tarsal
segments of fore legs subequal. Hairs below basal half of hind femur include 4-6 which are
clearly longer than those of the antero-ventral row in apical half. Postero-dorsals of hind
tibia distinctly spine-like in lower half.

WINGS: Length 1.83 mm. Costal index 0.43-0.44. Costal ratios 3.47:1.86:1. Costal cilia
0.15 mm. Veins pale brown. Vein Sc fades away in distal third. A strong hair at base of
vein 3 (as strong as costal cilia at level of humeral cross vein). Axillary ridge with 5
bristles. Membrane greyish tinged. Haltere with dark stem and yellow knob.
AFFINITIES: In the keys of Schmitz and Delage (1981) this species runs to couplet 38 (p.
675). The presence of a notopleural cleft immediately distinguishes it from M. densior.
The stronger hairs on the epandrium and longer hairs of the posterior process of the left
side of the hypandrium distinguish it from M. malhamensis (cf Figs 2B and 4B). The more
numerous hairs on the epandrium and more extensive development of the left side of the
epandrium postero-ventrally will distinguish M. parnassia from M. giraudii (cf Figs 4A
and 4B).

Megaselia plurispinulosa (Zetterstedt, 1860)
giraudii auctt. nec (Egger, 1862)
submeigeni (Wood, 1914)
nigrans Schmitz, 1935. Syn. nov.

Every supposed British specimen of M. plurispinulosa I examined proved indistinguish-
able from M. nigrans. I therefore began to suspect that the former species should be
removed from the British List. However the characters given by Schmitz and Delage
(1981) for the separation of these two species (in couplet 12 page 673) are evidently totally

120

Two New Species of Scuttle fly (Diptera, Phoridae)

unreliable. The pale propleuron and anteior part of the mesopleuron used to distinguish
M. plurispinulosa from M. nigrans , as well as ratio of the distance between the tips of the
first two thin veins compared with the distance between the second and third, are
evidently too variable to allow certain separation. In view of this I have been basing my
identification on the male hypopygium. Schmitz and Delage illustrated the hypopygia of
the two ‘species’ in their Figs 449 and 451. Despite one figure showing the left side and the
other showing the right these two figures portray evidently different epandria.

When I remounted the type of M. submeigeni, a female, I could not distinguish it from
the female of M. nigrans collected with a male of this species. In view of this I borrowed
the type of M. plurispinulosa. Despite being labelled as ‘9’ and ‘H. Schmitz vidit 1925’ it is
in fact a male. The anal tube is badly damaged and the lobes of the epandrium cracked and
distorted. In spite of this it is very clearly indistinguishable from M. nigrans. The supposed
difference between the epandria of these two ‘species’ lies in the two figures of Schmitz
and Delage only. I have no hesitation in establishing M. nigrans as a synonym of M.
plurispinulosa.

Megaselia pseudogiraudii (Schmitz, 1920)
pseudopicta (Lundbeck, 1922). Syn nov.

I have compared the lectotype male of M. pseudopicta with a male of M. pseudogiraudii
from Essex. The latter has a somewhat distinctive hypopygium. The hypopygium of M.
pseudopicta is the same. On top of this M. pseudogiraudii is known to be a somewhat
variable species (Schmitz and Delage 1981). At first sight M. pseudopicta is easily
distinguished from M. pseudogiraudii by its orange-coloured thorax and paler median
band on the abdominal tergites. However closer scrutiny of slide-mounted specimens
reveals the same variations in the pattern of less pigmented and more pigmented areas on
the frons, thorax and abdomen in both. The only difference lies in the intensity of the
pigmentation in general. This character is clearly continuously variable. The same applies
to the length of the hairs beneath the base of the hind femur and the sinuosity of vein 4. I
can discover no consistent difference between the species and so conclude that M.
pseudopicta is a synonym of M. pseudogiraudii.

Megaselia septentrionalis (Schmitz) (Fig. 3B)

Since reporting that specimens of this species recorded from England were, in fact, M.
badia (Disney 1985a) I have received specimens from Scotland which prove to be the true
M. septentrionalis . The species is accordingly restored to the British List.

The species is somewhat variable and some specimens will key out at couplet 38 (p. 675)
in the keys of Schmitz and Delage (1981). Their description of this species is incomplete as
the cut-off point of the Lieferung published in 1981 is in mid sentence towards the end of
their description of the head! However I can report that the males lack a notopleural cleft
and all legs are dominantly brown. The anal tube relative to the length of the dorsal face of
the epandrium is longer than in M. breviseta and M. correlata (cf. Figs IB, 1C and 3B) and
the wing is distinctly grey to the naked eye but more or less clear in the latter two species.

The specimens from Scotland were all collected in May 1981 from Loch Garten (Grid
ref. 28/9718) (J. A. Owen) and Flanders Moss (Grid ref. 26/623973) (J. M. Nelson).

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to the following for the loan of type material in their cares, and for allowing
me to re-mount critical specimens on slides:

Dr R. Contreras-Lichtenberg (Naturhistorisches Museum, Wien), Dr R. Danielson
(Zoological Museum, Lund), Dr L. Lyneborg (Zoologisk Museum, Copenhagen), Dr
R. V. Peterson (c/o U.S. National Museum, Washington), A. C. Pont (British Museum -
Natural History) and Dr H. Ulrich (Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut und Museum
Alexander Koenig, Bonn).

Some Rare or Local Coleoptera from Lowland Wedand

121

References

Borgmeier, T. (1965) Revision of the North American Phorid flies. Part III. Studia ent. 8:
1-160.

Borgmeier, T. (1967) Studies on Indo-Australian Phorid flies, based mainly on material of
the Museum of Comparative Zoology and the United States National Museum. Part II
(Diptera, Phoridae). Studia ent. 10: 81-276.

Disney, R. H. L. (1979) Natural History notes on some British Phoridae (Diptera) with
comments on a changing picture. Entomologist’s Gaz. 30: 141-150.

Disney, R. H. L. (1980) Records of flower visiting by scuttle flies (Diptera: Phoridae) in
the British Isles. Naturalist 105: 45-50.

Disney, R. H. L. (1985a) Additions and amendments to the list of British Megaselia
(Diptera, Phoridae). Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 121: 243-248.

Disney, R. H. L. (1985b) The Japanese species of Megaselia (Diptera, Phoridae)
responsible for urogenital myiasis is a new species. Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 121:
261-262.

Robinson, W. H. (1971) Old and new biologies of Megaselia species (Diptera, Phoridae).
Studia ent. 14: 321-348.

Schmitz, H. and Delage, A. (1981). 33, Phoridae. In Lindner, E. (Ed.). Fliegen palaearkt.
Reg. 4 (lief. 325): 665-712.

Wood, J. H. (1912) Notes on British Phora (Corrections and additions). Entomologist’s
mon. Mag. 23: 94-99.

SOME RARE OR LOCAL COLEOPTERA FROM LOWLAND WETLAND IN
NORTH NORTHUMBERLAND

C. REID

Department of Zoology, Australian National University, GPO Box 4, Canberra, ACT,

2601, Australia

In April 1984 I spent a weekend collecting in the Wooler area of Northumberland (VC 68)
to improve upon our limited knowledge of this relatively remote and poorly worked part
of England. Amongst the large number of sites visited, four of the lowland wetlands were
particularly good for Coleoptera and these are detailed below. Five species are new for
north-east England.

Site 1

Kimmer Lough (Grid ref. NU1217). At 70 m O.D. it is probably the only reasonably
undisturbed lowland peat bog left in Northumberland. There appear to be no previous
entomological records for this site. The area of interest surrounds a small lake which is
mostly steep sided with fringing Juncus but has a Sphagnum swamp in the west corner and
Phragmites at the eastern margin. Fences divide the surrounding land into two halves, of
which the north-east is grass pasture with patchy Salix, and the south-west is peat bog. The
latter is a mosaic of Salix, Myrica , Sphagnum and open water, and Calluna and Erica
tetralix. A deep recently cut drain feeds off from the south-east corner.

Site 2

Ford Moss (Grid ref. NT9637). The moss is a nature reserve of the Northumberland
Wildlife Trust and is described in their handbook. Much of the reserve has become
wooded but the west half remains open. My collecting was mainly along the boundary of
these two habitats.

Site 3

Campfield Bog (Grid ref. NT8638). A kettlehole, which is already known for its
interesting Hydradephaga (M. Eyre, pers. comm.). The site is a deep hollow between

Naturalist 111 (1986)

122

Some Rare or Local Coleoptera from Lowland Wetland

arable fields to north and south and old railway embankments to east and west. Most of
the bog is shaded by mature Betula and Salix with swampy Sphagnum , J uncus and open
water beneath.

Site 4

The River Tweed at St. Cuthbert’s (Grid ref. NT8642). Much of the rivershore is silt and
fine sand with Salix overhead. The islets have coarser sand and shingle and are generally
choked with Heracleum mantegazzianum. The height and density of trees increases to the
south, with consequent increase in shade.

A few of the more interesting species of Coleoptera are listed below with comments on
their status in Northumberland and Durham. Two Agabus species collected by M. Eyre in
July 1984 are included.

Carabidae

Pterostichus minor (Gyll.) Sites 1 and 3. Very rare and only known from Prestwick Carr
(Bold 1872 Nat. Hist. Trans. Northumb. 4: 1-117), although it has recently been more
widely recorded. This species has a relict distribution and is characteristic of fens (M. Luff,
pers. comm.). Trichocellus cognatus (Gyll.) and placidus (Gyll.). Site 1. This is an unusual
juxtaposition of these local species, typical of moorland and fen respectively.

Haliplidae

Haliplus lineolatus Mann. Site 1. Hitherto very locally distributed in artificial lakes (Eyre
and Foster 1984, Entomologist’s Gaz. 35: 111-135).

Dytiscidae

Agabus affinis (Pk.) Site 1. A local sphagnum bog species (Eyre and Foster 1984, ibid.).
Agabus melanocornis Zimm. Site 1. Local, in temporary ponds and peaty conditions
(Eyre and Foster 1984, ibid).

Ptiliidae

Acrotrichis parva Rossk. Site 1. New to the north-east but only recently recognized in
Britain where it is widespread (Johnson 1974, Entomologist’s mon. Mag. Ill: 177-183).

Leiodidae

Catops coracinus Kellner. Site 2. One previous record, near Wooler (Bold 1872, l.c.
supra). A widespread but mainly northern species.

Staphylinidae

Carpelimus subtilis (Er.) Site 4. One previous record, from Winlaton Mill (Donisthorpe
1909, Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 21: 231). Very local in Britain. Platystethus cornutus
(Grav.) Site 4. The northernmost British locality. There is one published record for
County Durham (Hammond 1971, Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 107: 93-111) and I have
recently taken it there in two new localities. Stenus comma LeConte. Site 4. Only recently
found in north-east England (Reid 1985, Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 121: 260) and possibly
spreading northwards. Stenus nitens Stephens. Site 1. New to north-east England. This
locality neatly fills the gap between recent Scottish sites (Sinclair 1983, Entomologist’s
mon. Mag. 119: 220) and those from Yorkshire southwards. Stenus niveus Fauvel. Site 1.
New to north-east England. A very local relict lowland bog species, scattered throughout
Britain. Euaesthetus laeviusculus Mann. Site 2. Euaesthetus ruficapillus Bois. & Lac. Site
1. These are the first species of this genus recorded from the north-east. Both are local in
marshes throughout Britain but more frequent in the south. Lathrobium longulum Grav.
Site 1. Only recorded from the River Irthing (Bold 1872, l.c. supra) and Gibside (Bagnall
1905, Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 17: 331-333). Rarer in north Britain. Lathrobium
zetterstedti Rye. Sites 1 and 2. Previously known from Wearhead (Thompson 1929,

Book Reviews

123

Vasculum 15: 37). Tachyporus transversalis Grav. Sites 1 and 2. Only known from Cold
Martin Moss (Hardy 1871, Hist. Berwicksh. Nat. Club 6: 251-267) which Bold ( l.c . supra)
mistakenly refers to as Henhole. A lowland acid bog species. Hydrosmecta thinobioides
(Kr.) Site 4. New to Northumberland, but known from Durham (Bagnell 1908,
Entomologist’s Rec. J. Var. 20: 33-34). A local species of riverbanks. Atheta fallaciosa
(Sharp) Site 1. Only otherwise known from Sweethope (Bold, l.c. supra). More frequent
in North Britain.

Pselaphidae

Pselaphus heisei Herbst. Site 1. Rare according to Bold (l.c. supra) and there are few
recent records.

Coccinellidae

Coccinella hieroglyphica L. Site 1. Rare according to Bold (l.c. supra), there are
surprisingly few recent records considering its association with Calluna. Halyzia
sedecimguttata (L.) Site 3. New to north-east England. Associated with Betula. Recent
British localities are in central Scotland and along the south coast of England (J.
Muggleton, in litt.).

Chrysomelidae

Lochmaea crataegi (Forst.) Site 2. Previously only known from Twizell (Bold, l.c. supra).
Rare in north Britain.

Curculionidae

Barypeithes sulcifrons (Boh.) Site 2. Recorded without further detail from North
Northumberland by Bold (l.c. supra). Very local and mainly northern in Britain.

As the genus Stenus Latreille has been intensively studied in north-east England by M.
Eyre and myself it was surprising to find two new species in one locality. This, together
with the other species listed above, suggests that Kimmer Lough has a rich and unusual
coleopteron fauna poorly represented elsewhere in north-east England. At present
Kimmer Lough is not protected. Campfield Bog also seems worthy of further study and
conservation.

Acknowledgements

I thank Garth Foster for the Haliplus identification, Martin Luff for carabid information,
and Mick Eyre for allowing me to pick his brain and files for references, for use of his
hydradephaga records and for constructive criticism of the manuscript. The Northumber-
land Wildlife Trust kindly allowed access to Ford Moss.

BOOK REVIEWS

The Birds of Yorkshire by John R. Mather. Pp. 613, with 119 black & white photographs,
96 line drawings and 35 selected distribution maps. Croom Helm. 1986. £40.

This latest mammoth work on the birds of Yorkshire, the successor to Thomas Nelson
1907 and Ralph Chislett 1952, has really done justice to Yorkshire’s birds by virtue of the
space available.

The first 10 per cent of the book begins with a description of the county followed by
chapters on the development of ornithology, bird protection and short sections on sites of
special interest. Then follows the major section of the book covering the systematic list
which follows K. H. Voous. The author gives an account of the historical and present
status and distribution of each species, which is well researched and written in a very

124

Book Reviews

readable style. Three types of record have been included: historical records published by
Nelson and Chislett, records accepted by the Ornithological Committee of the Yorkshire
Naturalists’ Union and B.B. and records accepted by YNU but not submitted to B.B.R.C.
The last group of records mainly emanate from Flamborough. Illustrations are provided
by four groups of excellent photographs including good portraits of both Nelson and
Chislett, some old ones of famous wildfowlers and Bempton egg collectors, and areas of
Yorkshire, some taken from the air. The remainder are a collection of mostly rare birds
found in the county over the past 35 years. Scattered through the text are 119 accurate and
attractive vignettes. Clear distribution maps have been produced for the less common
breeding species. The inside covers contain a useful map of old Yorkshire, depicting the
six 100 km square O.S. map numbers together with the five Watsonian vice-county
divisions and 10 km squares. 404 fully acceptable recorded species appear in the text and
in addition 12 species which at one time or another have had a claim for a place on the
county list have now been fully recorded. There are now 138 species breeding in the
county which is a greater number than at any time this century.

Since 1952, 84 species have been added to the county list, mostly as a combined result of
regular sea watching, a much larger number of ringers using mist nets at both coastal and
inland sites together with a great increase in the number of active observers in the field
during the last 35 years.

Instead of defining each species with a brief status summary, a much more accurate
account is given in the wealth of the text which will prove invaluable especially to less
knowledgeable readers. Some interesting derivations of common names are included and
the author has drawn on the wealth of data now available from local and BTO surveys.
Particularly fine examples include Canada Goose, Guillemot (where 9 of the 13 original
pages written by Nelson have been included intact), Kittiwake and Cormorant.

The author has acknowledged the great number of Yorkshire birdmen who have helped
to make this such an outstanding county avifauna, which will prove to be the most
important source of reference for many years to come.

Biology by Peter H. Raven and George B. Johnson. Pp. xxxii + 1293, fully illustrated.
Times Mirror/Mosby College Publishing, St Louis. 1986. £27.50.

This has to be the ultimate in biological textbooks, providing as it does a wealth of
encyclopedic information, opulently presented. However, to encompass this, the book
measures 28 X 22 x 6 cm and weighs nearly P/z kilograms! It has been aimed at a world
market and will provide an admirable text for sixth-form courses and first year/foundation
courses in biological sciences for colleges and universities. It is also strongly recommended
as a basic source of information for those who teach courses up to and including these
levels. Although somewhat higher in price than students normally seem willing to pay, this
book nevertheless represents fantastic value.

MRDS

Wild in London by David Goode. Pp. vi + 186, with b/w and colour illustrations. A Shell
Book/Michael Joseph. 1986. £8.95.

The author makes it clear in his acknowledgements that this is a personal selection of
London sites of value to wildlife, not an exhaustive survey. It is interesting to compare his
approach with that of R. S. R. Fitter’s classic work, London's Natural History , first
published in 1945. Although the main appeal of Wild in London will probably be to those
nature-lovers who live in the London area and want to know where they can go to see a
range of fauna and flora and what species they can reasonably expect to encounter there,
most city dwellers will have access to similar sites in their own area and will find this book
interesting and illuminating. The very readable text is well complemented by excellent
colour photographs.

YAH

125

NOTES ON THE LEECH, HELOBDELLA STAGNALIS , AS A
HYPERPARASITE OF THE MEDICINAL LEECH, HIRUDO MEDICINALIS,
IN A LAKE DISTRICT TARN

P. A. TULLETT and J. M. ELLIOTT

Freshwater Biological Association, Windermere Laboratory, The Ferry House, Ambleside,

Cumbria LA22 OLP

Introduction

Sixteen species of leeches (Hirudinea) occur in the British Isles; the majority prey on
invertebrates but two species are ectoparasites of fish, one is an ectoparasite of
water-birds, one is an ectoparasite of water-birds and mammals, and the medicinal leech is
an ectoparasite of mammals, amphibians and fish (Elliott and Mann 1979). The only
records of leeches parasitizing other leeches are all for young Glossiphonia complanata
(L.) (see references in Elliott and Mann 1979). Helobdella stagnalis (L.) has been found
attached to other leeches in North America but was not feeding (Sawyer 1972).

The present paper describes changes over four years in the numbers of H. stagnalis on
medicinal leeches ( Hirudo medicinalis L.) in a Lake District tarn and examines some
aspects of the spatial distribution of H. stagnalis.

Materials and Methods

All samples were obtained from a Lake District tarn with a surface area of c.2546 m2,
about 40 per cent of which is over shallow water less than 0.5 m deep (for a detailed
description of the tarn, see Elliott and Tullett 1986).

Samples of medicinal leeches were taken every two weeks from March to November in

1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985 (see Fig. 1). The catch-per-unit effort was the number of
leeches taken by two operators in one hour. A few leeches were removed from stones in
shallow water near the shore but the majority were caught as they swam towards the
operators wading in the water. All leeches were returned to the tarn after they had been
weighed in the laboratory (for a detailed description of the sampling methods see Elliott &
Tullett 1986). The number of medicinal leeches parasitized by Helobdella stagnalis was
recorded for each sample and the number of H. stagnalis per host was also noted.

Results

The total catch of medicinal leeches for the four years of this study was 1296 of which 196
(15 per cent) were carrying Helobdella stagnalis. The number carrying H. stagnalis varied
considerably between years from 1 1 (7 per cent of total catch) in 1984 to 92 (18 per cent) in

1983. There was also considerable variation within each year but this variation followed no
obvious seasonal pattern (Fig. 1). Less than 50 per cent of the medicinal leeches in each
sample were carrying H. stagnalis, and the number of H. stagnalis per host exceeded three
on only four medicinal leeches, carrying five, eight, thirteen and thirteen respectively (in
three samples marked with asterisks in Fig. 1). All sizes of H. stagnalis were found on the
medicinal leeches, and some H. stagnalis taken in June were carrying eggs or young. As
the medicinal leeches were brought back to the laboratory for weighing, it was possible to
observe through a microscope H. stagnalis feeding on its host. The proboscis was inserted
deep into the body wall of the host and the anterior portion of the body contracted
regularly. It was therefore concluded that H. stagnalis was a parasite of the medicinal
leech. The term ‘parasite’ is used here to describe a species that utilizes a host as a habitat
and derives its nutrition from that host (see discussion in Anderson and May 1978). Thus
the medicinal leech is a parasite and Helobdella stagnalis is a hyperparasite.

The distribution of the hyperparasites (excluding eggs or young carried by a parent)
within the host population was examined by comparison with a Poisson series, the
probability distribution for random events. As the number of parasites per host rarely
exceeded three and there was a high proportion of unparasitized hosts in each sample, the

Naturalist 111 (1986)

100

)er o

il lee

1982

Total number

Number

parasitized

1983

1984

1985

Months

FIGURE l

medicinal leeches ( Hirudo medicinalis) taken in each sample and number
:hes parasitized by Helobdella stagnalis (shaded portion of each column);
k:s indicate samples in which there were more than three H. stagnalis per
medicinal leech.

127

Hyperparasite of Medicinal Leeches

simplest test was to compare the observed number of zero values (i.e. number of hosts not
parasitized) with the expected number for a Poisson series with the same mean as that of
the sample (see methods of Chakravarti and Rao 1956, Elliott 1977). There was good
agreement between observed and expected values for all samples except two in which the
expected values were significantly less (P < 0.05) than the observed values (Fig. 2). The
two exceptions were two of the three samples with medicinal leeches carrying more than
three parasites (samples marked with asterisks in 1983 and 1985 in Fig. 1).

Therefore, apart from the two samples with medicinal leeches carrying a high number of
parasites, there was good agreement with a Poisson series. It was concluded that the
distribution of the hyperparasite within the population of the host species was usually
random.

Discussion

The present investigation not only provides the first record of Helobdella stagnalis feeding
on another leech species, but also shows that it is a frequent hyperparasite of the medicinal
leech, Hirudo medicinalis. In contrast to previous observations on Glossiphonia

_L_

• 1982
X 1983
o 1984
a 1985

J L I

80 100

Observed number

FIGURE 2

Comparison of observed and expected values for the number of medicinal leeches not
parasitized by H. stagnalis in each sample (expected values were estimated by the first
term in a Poisson series, asterisks indicate the two samples for which there was a
significant difference between observed and expected values).

128

Hyperparasite of Medicinal Leeches

complanata feeding on other leeches (see introduction), H. stagnalis did not kill its host or
produce any obvious reactions. The behaviour of its host appeared to be similar to that of
unparasitized medicinal leeches. Medicinal leeches were not the only hosts for Helobdella
stagnalis which feeds on a variety of other invertebrates including larvae of aquatic insects,
oligochaetes, amphipods, aquatic snails, Copepoda and Cladocera (Elliott and Mann
1979).

There is a large amount of information on the distribution of parasite numbers within
natural populations of their hosts and the observed patterns are usually over-dispersed
(aggregated) with relatively few hosts carrying the majority of the parasites (see reviews
by Anderson and May 1978, Whitfield 1979, Anderson 1979). This aggregated distribution
probably facilitates the stable co-existence of the host-parasite association. There are a
few reports of random and under-dispersed (regular) distributions but these usually occur
in laboratory populations, or within specific strata of a wild host population such as a
particular age-class, or when the initial invasion of the host population has just occurred.

The random distribution of the hyperparasite within the host species in the present
study is therefore not the usual pattern found in host-parasite associations. The
hyperparasites were not confined to a particular stratum of the host population, and the
persistence of the random distribution over four years indicates that it is not simply due to
an initial invasion of the host population. It is possible, however, that the method of
collecting chiefly swimming medicinal leeches produced biased samples because heavily-
parasitized leeches may be too weak to swim, and recently-satiated leeches do not swim
but would be an easy prey for H. stagnalis. None of the hosts taken in the present study,
including the three heavily parasitized individuals showed any obvious signs of weakness.
Nothing is known about the long-term survival of the parasitized hosts and there is clearly
a need for further investigations.

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank Mr D. G. Underhill for allowing us to work in the tarn, Judith I. Elliott
and J. Alexander Elliott for all their assistance with the sampling. This investigation was
financed by the Natural Environment Research Council.

References

Anderson, R. M. (1979) The influence of parasitic infection on the dynamics of host
population growth. In R. M. Anderson, B. D. Turner and L. R. Taylor (Eds).
Population Dynamics. Oxford (Blackwell Scientific Publications), pp. 245-281.
Anderson, R. M. and May, R. M. (1978) Regulation and stability of host-parasite
population interactions. I. Regulatory processes. J. Anim. Ecol. 47: 219-247.
Chakravarti, I. M. and Rao, C. R. (1959) Tables for some small sample tests of
significance for Poisson distributions and 2x3 contingency tables. Sankhya 21:
315-326.

Elliott, J. M. (1977) Some methods for the statistical analysis of samples of benthic
invertebrates. 2nd edition. FBA Scientific Publications no. 25, Ambleside.

Elliott, J. M. and Mann, K. H. (1979) A key to the British freshwater leeches with notes on
their life cycles and ecology. FBA Scientific Publications no. 40, Ambleside.

Elliott, J. M. and Tullett, P. A. (1986) The effects of temperature, atmospheric pressure
and season on the swimming activity of the medicinal leech, Hirudo medicinalis
(Hirudinea: Hirudinidae), in a Lake District tarn. Freshwat. Biol. 16: 405-415.
Sawyer, R. T. (1972) North American freshwater leeches, exclusive of the Piscicolidae, with
a key to all species. Illinois Biological Monograph no. 46.

Whitfield, P. J. (1979) The Biology of Parasitism: an introduction to the study of
associating organisms. Edward Arnold London.

129

ASPECTS OF THE BREEDING BIOLOGY OF RAVENS IN TWO UPLAND
REGIONS OF NORTH WALES

P. J. DARE

Glebe House, Toad Row, Henstead, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 7LG

The Raven Corvus corax is a conspicuous and important resident of the upland avifauna
throughout Wales, though it is common also around many seacliffs and rocky islands.
Here, as elsewhere, its food habits can lead locally to conflict with sheep farmers since
sheep carrion forms a large part of the omnivorous diet (Bolam 1913, Marquiss et al.
1978).

From 1978 to 1985, a complete census was made of breeding Ravens in Snowdonia and
in the contiguous and contrasting upland region to the east of these mountains (Dare
1986). Earlier, Ratcliffe (1962) had compared Raven population density, breeding success
and nest site features in part of Snowdonia with that of Ravens in north-west England and
southern Scotland, while Allin (1968) provided breeding data for Ravens on Anglesey and
in northern Snowdonia. In mid-Wales recently, the ecology and breeding biology of
Ravens in the Cambrian Mountains have been studied with particular reference to local
land use, mainly sheep farming and forestry (Newton et al. 1982, Davis & Davis 1986).
Large-scale conversion of moorlands to conifer forests, with a consequent decrease in
Raven food supply, has resulted in recent marked declines in Raven numbers breeding in
north-east England and southern Scotland (Marquiss et al. 1978, Mearns 1983).

During my 1978-85 census, incidental observations were made on certain aspects of
Raven breeding biology which supplement the earlier findings from the north Wales
uplands. The present paper details such information for the whole of Snowdonia and an
adjoining moorland block; it covers nest sites, the breeding season, breeding success in
relation to afforestation, and juvenile dispersal.

Study Area and Raven Population

The area covers 1,403 km2 and comprises two distinct geological and agricultural regions:
(A) Snowdonia - 926 km2 of mountainous terrain west of the river Conwy and north of the
Vale of Ffestiniog; (B) Migneint-Hiraethog - 477 km2 of moorland and enclosed hill farms
extending eastwards from the upper reaches of the river Conwy. Land use and physical
features are summarized in Table 1. The rugged mountain ranges and glaciated valley
systems of Snowdonia contrast sharply with the more gently undulating and intensively
farmed landscape around the two moorland blocks of Migneint and Hiraethog.

Parameters of the Raven population are also summarized in Table 1 (from Dare 1986).
Snowdonia supported 97 breeding territories at a high mean density, whereas the
Migneint-Hiraethog region held only 20 territories and at a much lower density. The
density in Snowdonia is the second highest yet reported for Ravens in Europe, being
exceeded only in central Wales (Davis & Davis 1986). Breeding success in the study area is
similar to that reported earlier and to that of Ravens in central Wales.

Methods

The breeding data were obtained by systematic searches for, and inspections of, all the
many likely rock and tree sites in the study area. For each nest, the following details were
recorded: grid reference, altitude above sea level (from 1:25000 maps), type of site
(natural cliff, quarry or tree), height of nest above ground, degree of exposure and
direction faced (rock nests only). Details of all nest sites have been filed with the Royal
Society for the Protection of Birds, Wales Office. Most Raven nests were inaccessible and
many were not in viewable positions. These factors together with the large size of study
area precluded a thorough study of breeding biology. Instead, annual samples of nesting
territories were examined, their number and distribution varying according to the census

Naturalist 111 (1986)

130 Aspects of the Breeding Biology of Ravens

priorities. Nests were inspected on an opportunistic basis with the aid of binoculars (x 10)
or telescope (x 20).

Nest Sites

Ravens used a wide variety of sites, with a marked difference between the two regions
(Table 2) which reflected the relative availability of safe rock and tree sites. In the 97
Snowdonia territories, nests were built mainly on cliff and quarry faces at intermediate

TABLE 1

Physical features, land use, and Raven breeding population in each region of the study area

(from Dare 1986)

Snowdonia

Migneint-Hiraethog

Land Area (km2)

1,403

477

Maximum Altitude (m)

1,085

688

Land above 150 m (%)

Land above 450 m (%)

Land Use (% of total area):
sheepwalk

quarry wasteland

enclosed pastures

deciduous woodland

conifer forests

lakes

urban

Raven Population:

No. of breeding territories

Mean breeding density (km2/pair)

9.5

23.9

Nest spacing (km) ( =

mean nearest neighbour distance)

2.00±0.63

3.55± 1 .01

No. young reared per successful
pair

2.5

levels on the mountainsides (Fig. 1). The mean nest altitude was 342 m but more than half
of the sites were between the 150 m and 375 m contours. The few tree nests were between
165 m and 495 m, the highest being very close to the tree-line. In the 20 Migneint-
Hiraethog territories, most nest sites were in trees and the mean altitude was similar to
that in Snowdonia. A few pairs switched between rock and tree sites in each region.

In Snowdonia, nest crags ranged in size from impressive precipices down to low and
partly vegetated bluffs protruding through thickly wooded escarpments. Nests were built
typically on open ledges and often under overhangs, thus affording some protection from
falls of snow, ice or rock; 34 per cent of nests were very exposed and only 15 per cent were
in very sheltered positions (Table 2). Some pairs were very tolerant of human activities
and bred successfully, for example, within 50 m of a popular climbing route or within 200
m of machinery and explosions in an operational quarry.

The directions faced by 75 of the more exposed ledge nests on crags, and by 18 others in
slate and granite quarries, were noted. Most (63 per cent) crag nests faced the south-east
(E-S) quadrant, away from prevailing westerly winds, with fewest (17 per cent) facing
westerly (SW-NW). In quarries, on the other hand, 56 per cent of nests faced between
north and north-west. Directions appeared to be governed more by land-form than by
innate or weather-related preferences, for eastern slopes in much of Snowdonia tend to be

131

Aspects of the Breeding Biology of Ravens

more precipitous whereas western slopes often rise gradually and are the most amenable
for quarrying. Allin (1968) also found no evidence for any aspect preference in north
Wales.

In Migneint-Hiraethog, where large crags are rare, some Ravens resorted to unusual
rock sites. Two of the 7 rock-nesters nested annually in narrow river gorges, while two
others used 8-10 m high rock scarps in fields and only 200-300 m from farms. Such nests
were vulnerable to persecution by farmers and seldom succeeded.

Altitude

FIGURE 1

Altitudinal distribution of 107 Raven nest sites in Snowdonia,
all sites □, quarry sites tree sites the arrow denotes the mean value.

132 Aspects of the Breeding Biology of Ravens

TABLE 2

Nest site features of Ravens in the study area

Snowdonia

Migneint-Hiraethog

Nest Altitude - mean (m)

342

334

- range (m)

85 - 690

210 - 590

Nest Sites (Territory frequency)

rock - natural cliffs

72 (74%)

5 (25%)

- quarries

18 (19%)

1 ( 5%)

trees

3 ( 3%)

12 (60%)

trees/rocks

4 ( 4%)

2 (10%)

Rock Nest Positions

exposed ledge (exposure degree 5)

52 (9)

9(2)

more sheltered ledge (

” 4)

64 (24)

1(1)

ledge behind sapling (

” 3)

gullies (

” 2)

clefts/fissures (

” 1)

holes (

” 0)

154

Tree Nest Species (No. nests)

Scots pine

Spruce

Larch

Ash

Birch

Beech

Sycamore

Rowan

Nest Number per Territory

Mean

1.8

Note: rock nest positions in parentheses refer to vegetated cliffs.

Tree-nesters favoured conifers in remote hillside spinneys and shelterbelts, and nests
were usually at heights of 11-18 m. However, in secluded and steep-sided moorland
valleys, several nests were in small birch and rowan trees and only 4-6 m above the
ground. Eight species of tree were utilized for 29 nests (Table 2).

The occurrence of alternative nests within a Raven territory is well recorded (Ratcliffe
1962, Allin 1968). In this study, the mean number of nests available per territory was 1.8
(Table 2). Most pairs used only one or two nests during the 8 year period, and none used
more than four. The largest nest, about 1-1.5 m tall, comprised three distinct structures
stacked above one another. On cliffs, alternative nests were often only 2-30 m apart, but
in four territories (and including tree-nesters) the spacing could be up to 2-3 km.

Some Ravens shared the larger cliffs with nesting Peregrines Falco peregrinus and (or)
Buzzards Buteo buteo. In three localities, all three species bred successfully within a 400 m
sector for several years. In two small quarries, Ravens and Peregrines both nested

133

Aspects of the Breeding Biology of Ravens

successfully even though only 50-100 m apart (B. Boothroyd, J. C. Barnes, pers.
comms.). However, in two other territories, Raven clutches were deserted when
Peregrines selected eyries only 2 m and 25 m from the occupied Raven nests. At a third
site, a regular Raven cliff was abandoned to Peregrines a year after the falcons began
prospecting and had struck one Raven repeatedly (L. Taylor, pers. comm.). Old Raven
nests were taken over by Peregrines in at least three territories, by Buzzards (5) and by
Kestrels F. tinnunculus (4). One Raven pair usurped a former tree nest of Buzzards and
forced the latter to move to a new site 1.7 km away.

Movements of Ravens ringed as pulli in and around the study area (enclosed by dashed
lines). Ringing sites shown by filled circles; movements into north Wales shown by

dashed lines with arrows.

Breeding Season

The limited 1978-85 observations supplement earlier data for the study area (Allin 1968,
and in litt.) and together enable the timing of the breeding season in these uplands to be
outlined more clearly than hitherto (Table 3). Breeding was protracted above 200 m
altitude and lasted from late February until late May or early June, with considerable
overlap between stages. Each stage was spread over 5-7 weeks, excluding any repeat
attempts.

For pairs above 305 m, Allin (1968) had found that 10 per cent of 48 clutches (mean size
5.1 eggs) were completed by 28 February, 37 per cent by 10 March, and 92 per cent by 21
March, with peak completion during 11-21 March. Although he presented no data on
hatching or fledging dates, these can now be estimated for his clutches by applying the
mean incubation (20-21 days) and nestling (45 days) periods measured in mid- Wales by

134

Aspects of the Breeding Biology of Ravens

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§ broods in nests and fledging imminent.

135

Aspects of the Breeding Biology of Ravens

Davis and Davis (1986). In my study area, hatching should therefore begin around 16-20
March, and peak during 31 March-11 April, while fledging should start about 30 April-4
May and peak during 15-26 May. My observed 1978-85 ranges (Table 3) accord
reasonably with these deductions. There was no evidence that very late Snowdonia broods
related to repeat clutches except in one case in 1984 where there were signs of an earlier
failure in the alternative nest. In general, Table 3 shows that the breeding season in the
study area appears to be only a few days later than in central Wales uplands; it is 1-2
weeks later than on lowland Anglesey nearby (Allin 1968, and in litt.).

TABLE 4

Breeding activity of Ravens in relation to the proportion of the nest territory covered by

closed conifer forest

Percent Conifers

Territory

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

Comments

within 1.5 km

of nest

71-80

new pair 1981-82;
none again 1983-84.

61-70

51-60

(X)

41-50

'y/

Peregrine take-over

in 1980-82.

climbing disturbance

each year.

31-40

(X)

Notes: v/ — bred, successful; p = pair, did not breed;

x = bred, failed; o = no birds present;

(x) = bred, apparently failed; blank = no observations made.

? = bred, result not known;

Breeding Success and Afforestation

Overall breeding success was similar in both regions (Dare 1986) with, on average, 58-73
per cent of nest attempts producing some fledged young, and 2.5 young being reared per
successful pair. Causes of nest failure are examined in Dare (1986).

In northern Britain extensive afforestation of moorlands with conifers has led to marked
declines in Raven breeding success and numbers (Marquiss et al. 1978). For Snowdonia
Ravens, Table 4 summarizes the performance of eight of nine pairs where closed canopy
forest covered more than 30 per cent of the land within 1.5 km of their nests; seven nests
are in one forest district. All nests were located on the peripheries of conifer blocks which,
as in central Wales, contained enclaves of sheep pastures as well as abutting onto open
sheepwalk or farmland. Observations were fragmentary and were complicated by
extraneous factors causing some losses. Nonetheless, clearly some pairs (B,C) bred
successfully, though not necessarily every year, with up to 51-60 per cent of closed forest
around their nests. Only one pair (A) tried to breed within 71-80 per cent forest cover.
This was a new pair which attempted for two years to fit into the 3.5 km gap between the
nests of pair E and another pair outside the forest. Its first nest failed around hatching
time. In the next year, this pair was present but appeared not to breed at all; its nest was
then dismantled for nest material by Jackdaws C. monedula.

136 Aspects of the Breeding Biology of Ravens

Ravens nesting on vegetated crags in conifer forests were vulnerable to fires. In
mid-May 1980, a forest fire destroyed one nest, and probably its brood, and came within
one metre above and downwind of a second nest on a heathery crag. Remarkably, the
latter brood survived the heat and smoke, and was not deserted.

Dispersal of Young

In the immediate post-fledging period, families foraged noisily for a week or more in the
vicinity of the nest, then moved away and often became elusive. Families appeared to stay
as units through early summer, and to wander more widely over the high tops and
secluded moors. There are 47 recoveries of Raven pulli ringed in (9) or near (38) the study
area before 1976 (Fig. 2). Eight juveniles were found locally during the June-August after
fledging; six had moved less than 9 km, but one had gone 20 km by July and another 25 km
by August.

Most recoveries were on lowland Anglesey or eastwards of the study area (Fig. 2) in
more populous districts where Ravens are more actively persecuted. After the first year,
12 of 24 recoveries occurred in April-May coincident with both the lambing season and
the Raven nestling period; at least five of these birds had been shot. The median and
maximum distances moved by 42 birds within north Wales were 19 km and 67 km; the
median for all 47 birds was only 23 km (Dare 1986). However, three Ravens emigrated
eastwards into England (40-122 km), one crossed the Irish Sea (178 km north-west) and
another had flown 317 km up to south-east Scotland. The two birds which moved 94 km
and 317 km were siblings, and both were just two years old at death. Immigration to the
region also occurred: four birds ringed up to 185 km away in central and south-west
Wales.

Discussion

The Raven population of Snowdonia has increased by around 80 per cent since the 1950s
(Dare 1986), probably due to increasing sheep stocks (and carrion supplies) coupled with
an abundance of rock nest sites and minimal persecution. By contrast, on the moors and
farms of Migneint-Hiraethog, where persecution is more prevalent. Raven numbers have
remained stable since the 1950s. Population density there appears to have been limited
mainly by scarcity of secure tree nest sites.

Ravens can utilize a wide range of nest sites and habitats, and do not necessarily shun
human presence, thus enabling them to breed in most types of terrain, though the highest
levels in Snowdonia are avoided. The many structurally suitable crags above 700 m were
not used, presumably because - as Ratcliffe (1962) surmised - of the more severe snow
and ice conditions usually prevailing in January and February when Ravens build their
nests. Snow cover is frequent above 450 m in Snowdonia from December through March,
and is often prolonged above 650 m. The preferred types of nest crag and heights of nests
above ground agreed also with Ratcliffe (1962).

Study area Ravens bred at nearly the same time (Table 3) as those in central Wales,
where the season is related to maximum availability of sheep carrion (Newton et al. 1982).
Overall breeding success was similar to that reported earlier in Snowdonia and recently in
central Wales (Dare 1986). Afforestation, especially of some Snowdonia sheepwalks, has
had little noticeable impact so far upon Raven breeding performance, numbers or
distribution in the study area. This agrees with the findings of Newton et al. (1982) in
central Wales but contrasts with reports from the Scottish border uplands (Marquiss et al.
1978) perhaps because Welsh conifer forests are smaller, more fragmented, still retain
enclaves of sheep grazing, and adjoin open land.

Young Ravens reared in north Wales disperse widely, as judged by ringing recoveries,
and there is immigration from further south. In central Wales, juveniles disperse probably
at random and few return to their natal areas (Davis & Davis 1986). Holyoak (1971)
analysed 147 British recoveries and found that young Ravens appeared to disperse soon
after independence, with more than half moving over 30 km from their birth-places by the
first winter. The general pattern among Welsh Ravens, therefore, is that, whereas

Book Reviews

137

breeding adults are sedentary and territorial, their offspring scatter widely. This behaviour
should lead to considerable interchanges between Raven populations in the different
regions of Wales and, perhaps, maintain local populations which experience very poor
breeding success due to persecution or other factors.

Summary

Ravens breeding in the mountains of Snowdonia are predominantly adaptable rock
nesters, and experience little persecution or disturbance, whereas Ravens nesting in an
adjoining region of farms and moors nest mainly in trees and suffer more persecution from
sheep farmers. The breeding season extends from late February until late May or early
June; timing and breeding performance are similar to that of Ravens in central Wales.
Breeding was not obviously impaired by large-scale afforestation, apparently because the
new conifer forests are too fragmented to reduce foraging areas significantly. Young
Ravens reared in north Wales dispersed widely, and there may be considerable
interchange between different populations in Wales.

Acknowledgements

I am particularly grateful to the late E. K, Allin, to whom this paper is dedicated, and to
Dr D. A. Ratcliffe for providing historic nest site data and for their encouragement. E. K.
Allin was also responsible for most of the ringing of Raven pulli in north Wales during the
last 25 years. Special thanks are due to the following observers for their assistance in
locating nests: B. Boothroyd, J. Driver, G. Jones-Ellis, G. Parry, and G. Roberts; while
information was received also from: J. C. Barnes, R. H. Fisher, W. I. Jones, L. Taylor
and G. A. Williams. I thank Mrs Jane Marchant for extracting recovery data from the
British Trust for Ornithology computer and the B.T.O. for permission to use these data.
Finally, many farmers allowed me unlimited access to their lands.

References

Allin, E. K. (1968) Breeding notes on Ravens in north Wales. Brit. Birds 61: 541-545.
Bolam, G. (1913) Wildlife in Wales. Palmer, London.

Dare, P. J. (1986) Raven Corvus corax populations in two upland regions of north Wales.
Bird Study 33: 179-189.

Davis, P. E. and Davis, J. E. (1986) The breeding biology of a Raven population in
central Wales. Nature Wales (new series) 3: 44-54.

Holyoak, D. (1971) Movements and mortality of Corvidae. Bird Study 18: 97-106.
Marquiss, M., Newton, I. and Ratcliffe, D. A. (1978) The decline of the Raven, Corvus
corax , in relation to afforestation in southern Scotland and northern England. J. Appl.
Ecol. 15: 129-144.

Mearns, R. (1983) The status of the Raven in southern Scotland and Northumbria. Scott.
Birds 12(7): 211-218.

Newton, I., Davis, P. E. and Davis, J. E. (1982) Ravens and Buzzards in relation to
sheep-farming and forestry in Wales. J. Appl. Ecol. 19: 681-706.

Ratcliffe, D. A. (1962) Breeding density in the Peregrine Falco peregrinus and Raven
Corvus corax. Ibis 104: 13-39.

BOOK REVIEWS

Garden and Grove. The Italian Renaissance Garden in the English Imagination: 1600-1750
by John Dixon Hunt. Pp. xx + 268, including 113 figures.

Gardens for most people are expected to be places of colour and relaxation. Garden and
Grove , as a book about gardens, is not relaxing and whilst it is meticulously compiled, the
use of black and white only for its many illustrations deprives it of any sense of colour. It is
nevertheless a very skilfully produced volume which deserves the attention of enthusiasts.
In essence, the book is an account of early seventeenth to middle eighteenth century

138

Book Reviews

formal and sculptured gardens; the first section deals with several famous gardens, mostly
in central and northern Italy, including such well known names as the Valmanana Gardens
in Vincenza, Villa Aldobrandini Gardens at Frascati, Borghese Gardens in Rome,
Garden of the Villa d’Este at Tivoli, Gardens of Isola Bella on Lake Maggiore and many
more. There seems to have been much skill and imagination in creating elaborate scenes,
with water rushing down over specially placed stones and rock formations so as to cause
extraordinary musical and birdsong effects. In some instances the force of water set in
motion a storm effect, imitating rain, hail, snow and thunder which could be heard for
miles. Later, the book goes on to describe the Boboli Gardens in Florence and the famous
Grotto.

There is a very detailed account of the formal style of the seventeenth century Italian
garden which became popular in France and Holland and was later taken up with some
enthusiasm in England. A major section follows which concentrates on English gardens,
particularly those in the counties of Sussex, Surrey and north to Derbyshire with
Chatsworth especially in mind. The author concludes that as the English climate differs so
much from that of Italy, gardens in this country later became more organized with gravel
paths and shrubbery.

Garden and Grove , particularly the first part where Italian gardens are described in such
an extremely detailed manner, is full of involved and sometimes obscure quotations and
although most of these are identified in notes at the end of the book, it rather makes for
very concentrated reading. This is obviously a book for students of international garden
history and landscape architecture, written by a very knowledgeable specialist, which will
appeal to kindred specialists.

MET

The Botanists: a history of the Botanical Society of the British Isles through a hundred and
fifty years by David Elliston Allen. Pp. xvi + 232, including numerous line drawings and
b/w photographs. St Paul’s Bibliographies, Winchester. 1986. £15.00 (post-free in UK if
cheque accompanies order from: West End House, 1 Step Terrace, Winchester,
Hampshire S022 5BW).

Despite its chequered history, the Botanical Society of the British Isles has stamped its
authority on British botany. From the outset, one of its great strengths has been that it has
always drawn its enthusiastic and knowledgeable membership from a broad spectrum of
amateurs and professionals. David Allen, one of the world’s foremost botanical
historians, is the ideal person to blend together, in a manner both colourful and scholarly,
the various strands of the BSBI’s history. He portrays not only the physical and social
conditions which hampered or promoted the Society’s growth, but also paints a vivid
picture of the very different personalities involved, some of whom, by their domination,
greatly influenced its direction.

The Botanists traces the origins of botanical societies in the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries, precursors of the BSBI, and follows this with a study of the Society’s
achievements over the past 150 years, highlighting more recent developments and
exploring future prospects. However, notwithstanding the book’s subtitle, David Allen
has chosen to close his historical account at about 1965.

The author has critically analysed archival and published sources, paying particular
attention to the composition of the memberships of early botanical groups and societies;
his detailed appendix, for example, dealing with the membership of the Botanical Society
of London, sheds considerable light on the varied professional knowledge and talents, etc.
of the members, information which will prove of considerable value to future botanical
biographers.

The text is interspersed with figures and plates, including many delightful portraits,
some published for the first time.

The Botanists is a scholarly and readable work: those interested in the past, present and
future of British botany will find it both informative and enjoyable.

MRDS

139

TWO INTERESTING BRITISH LICHENS: ACAROSPORA UMBILICATA
BAGL., NEW TO YORKSHIRE, AND POLYSPORINA DUBIA (H. MAGN.)
VEZDA, NEW TO ENGLAND

A. HENDERSON

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Leeds

During an intensive study in November, 1984, of lichens on a stretch of Millstone Grit
roadside wall just outside Otley, Yorkshire, several colonies of a squamulose-areolate
lichen were encountered, much of the plant liberally encrusted with white pruina (Fig. 1).
Some squamules bore immersed to plane fruits which, under the microscope, proved to
have asci containing numerous tiny spores, suggestive of the genus Acarospora. On
examination of a specimen despatched to the British Museum (Natural History) and
comparison with material in the Herbarium there, Mr J. R. Laundon identified the plant
as Acarospora umbilicata.

FIGURE 1

Herbarium specimen (x 4) of Acarospora umbilicata (Otley colony 1: see Table 1).
Photograph by D. J. S. Bailey.

The British material of A. umbilicata in BM is in two packets collected from the same
locality by William Watson. Particulars on both packets read: Arenareous rock on the
borders of Gloucestershire, near Ross. Aug. 1925. W. Watson; the material is determined
by Dr Magnusson. Watson (1953) gives also a dubious record of A. umbilicata from VC
60, but no substantiating material is known.

In August 1985, Dr C. J. B. Hitch visited the Otley locality with the author. Later in

Naturalist 111 (1986)

140

Two Interesting British Lichens

that month he discovered a sparse colony of A. umbilicata on the church wall at Tenandry,
near Pitlochry, Scotland. Specimens of this and of two of his Suffolk collections of similar
appearance were sent to Dr C. Roux in France, who confirmed them as A. umbilicata.

In April 1986, during a lichenological inspection of the church hall at Sinnington, North
Yorkshire, four colonies were found at the base of the windows, two on the south and two
on the west face. Among the immediate associates of one of the thalli on the south face
was what was at first taken to be a black-fruited Acarospora with umbonate-wrinkled
ascocarps. A collection of this plant was despatched to Dr B. J. Coppins of the Royal
Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. His examination showed it to be Polysporina dubia, a lichen
previously known in Britain only from one locality in Wales, where Dr Coppins found it in
1984. P. dubia is one of the few lichens parasitizing other lichens and is usually found
invading Acarospora species (Wirth 1980, as Sarcogyne dubia). At Sinnington it inhabits
the squamules of an indeterminate Acarospora which does not appear (thallus C-) to be
A. fuscata , although this species occurs as an associate there.

The latest record of A. umbilicata is from Bilton, near Harrogate, where it is growing on
the low flat Millstone Grit coping of a roadside wall. No other colonies were found in the
vicinity.

The British records of A. umbilicata and P. dubia can thus be chronologically
summarized as follows:

A. umbilicata Bagl.

1. VC 36, Herefordshire, Ross, 32/52, on arenaceous rock, August 1925, W. Watson
(BM).

2. VC 25, Suffolk, Creeting St. Mary, 62/0956, on brick coping of churchyard wall, 26
August 1981, C. J. B. Hitch (Herb. Hitch).

3. VC 64, West Yorkshire, Otley, 44/2044, on Millstone Grit roadside wall under coping,
October 1984, A. Henderson (LDS).

4. VC 88, Perthshire, near Pitlochry, Tenandry, 27/9161, on crumbling ferrugineous mica
schist of north wall of church by road, 13 August 1985, C. J. B. Hitch (Herb. Hitch).

5. VC 26, Suffolk, Long Melford, 52/8646, on sloping red brick of church wall, 3
November 1985, C. J. B. Hitch (Herb. Hitch).

6. VC 62, North Yorkshire, Sinnington, 44/745858, on outward sloping sandstone sills of
church hall, April 1986, A. Henderson (LDS).

7. VC 64, North Yorkshire, near Harrogate, Bilton, 44/315577, on Millstone Grit coping
of roadside wall, 26 July 1986, A. Henderson (LDS).

Polysporina dubia (H. Magn.) Vezda

1. VC 42, Brecon, Abergwesyn, Nant Irfon, 22/840550, rocks by Afon Irfon at Camddwr
Bleiddiad, on smooth surface of siliceous rocks by river, clOOO ft, 6 August 1984, B.J.
Coppins & R. G. Woods (E).

2. VC 62, North Yorkshire, Sinnington, 44/745858, on Acarospora sp, on outward
sloping sill of church hall, April 1986, A. Henderson (E).

A notable feature of the community lists (Table 1) is the considerable calcareous influence
exerted in the siliceous habitats examined (with the possible exception of Bilton), an
influence shown by the presence of such calcicolously inclined species as Caloplaca citrina,
Candelariella aurella , Catillaria lenticularis and Lecanora dispersa and of mortar (often old
and crumbling) in salient positions nearby for leaching of the sites; the oolitic limestone of
the building is also a contributory factor at Sinnington. This calcareous influence is
important in the light of the examination, described below, of the pruina of A. umbilicata.

The whitish, firmly adherent pruina which invests A. umbilicata to a greater or lesser
degree is the feature most easily distinguishing it from A. fuscata (Clauzade et al 1981), to
which squamules of A. umbilicata lacking pruina bear strong resemblance. Under
scanning electron microscope examination of the pruina, it was only at higher powers
(500+) that more or less well-shaped crystals became apparent (Fig. 2). X-ray diffraction
analysis showed well defined lines denoting the presence of calcium oxalate in the form of

141

Two Interesting British Lichens

whewellite (Fig. 3). Other strong lines in the photograph showed the presence of silicon
dioxide (quartz), a considerable degree of spottiness of these lines suggesting that some of
these crystals were comparatively large and might well be substrate particles either
attached to or immersed in the thallus which had escaped removal in the manual
separating process prior to X-ray diffraction. Clauzade et al. (1981) describe A. umbilicata
as a calcifuge, and as none of the British substrates examined gave the least trace of
effervescence with hydrochloric acid, a sample of substrate from beneath the thallus of A

FIGURE 2

Scanning electron micrograph of the pruina of Acarospora umbilicata (Otley colony 1: see
Fig. 1). Photograph by A. Hicks.

FIGURE 3

X-ray powder photograph of pruina separated from the thallus of Acarospora umbilicata
(Otley colony 1: see Fig. 1 and 2). Camera radius = 28.65 mm, \ = 1.5418 A (CuKa
radiation, Ni filtered). First and third lines from centre correspond to d spacings of 3.69
and 3.00 A respectively, characteristic of whewellite. The second and fourth rings (and
other lines) are produced by silica. Photograph by Dr B. Sheldrick.

142 Two Interesting British Lichens

TABLE 1

Lichen communities at 9 Yorkshire localities of A. umbilicata

Otley (7 colonies)

Bilton

Sinnington

6 7

Acarospora umbilicata

+ +

Buellia punctata

Caloplaca citrina

Candelariella aurella

+ +

C. vitellina

Catillaria lenticularis

Lecanora dispersa

+ +

L. polytropa

L. soralifera

Lecidella scabra

Phaeophyscia nigricans

Polysporina dubia

Trapelia placodioides

Verrucaria muralis

-1-

V. viridula f. tectorum

Key: + = Species present

NB: Other species occurring as non-immediate associates at one or more localities are:
Acarospora fuscata, Lecanora muralis, Micarea lignaria, Protoblastenia rupestris,
Trapelia coarctata, T. obtegens and Scoliciosporum umbrinum.

TABLE 2

Chemical analysis of substrate underneath Acarospora umbilicata (Otley colony 1)

SiOz

82.00

CaO

0.13

Ti02

0.24

NazO

1.60

ai2o3

7.82

k2o

1.68

Fe203

1.56

p2o.

0.04

MnO

0.06

95713

umbilicata (Otley colony 1) was submitted to analysis, in order to ascertain its calcium
content. Table 2 shows the result of this analysis. Although substrate calcium is not high, it
should be amply available to the lichen. In this connection, it may be noted that Vidrich et
al (1982) found calcium oxalate in unidentified lichens on each of a variety of rock types
they looked at (sandstone, limestone, altered greenstone and serpentinite). Clearly, too,
as implied above, mortar run-off could constitute a further important source of calcium.
At all but two of the British sites mortar is evident in the immediate vicinity and A.
umbilicata is well placed to receive downward leaching in rain, etc, often appearing to
favour outward sloping faces under crumbling or eroding mortar. One exception is the
Bilton locality, but even here there is the possibility of rainsplash or flooding from niche
mortar.

Of several functions suggested for calcium oxalate in plants (Franceschi et al. 1980),
Wadsten et al. (1985) believe the main reason for the surface calcium oxalate crystals
formed by some lichens may well be the disposal of excess calcium. Such crystals might
also serve (Foster 1956) as a means of isolating excess and possibly toxic oxalate. An

143

Two Interesting British Lichens

anti-desiccant role has also been proposed. The ability of calcium oxalate crystals to
reduce or prevent evaporation was pointed out by Zukal (1886; see also Smith 1921 p.
215). Such a role seems most likely in the case of the pruina on A. umbilicata. Whewellite
(the monohydrate crystal form of calcium oxalate detected) does not have zeolitic water
and therefore cannot make water available to the lichen, as was suggested (Wadsten et al.
1985) in the case of weddellite (dihydrate form) which has zeolitic water. However, the
overall structure of the pruina with its many interstices could be regarded as effectively
deepening the protective surface microclimate (including the boundary layer proper)
immediately above the thallus, rendering it less vulnerable to sudden drying out and
drought stress.

Calcium oxalate in lichens is known to be associated with the secretion of oxalic acid by
the mycobiont (see e.g. Jones et al. 1980), and oxalic acid is one of the agents by which
lichen hyphae are enabled to dissolve and etch rock minerals and penetrate stone
substrates. Such biochemical weathering activity is highly probable in the case of A.
umbilicata.

In many plants calcium oxalate crystals play another major role i.e. the provision of
anti-herbivore protection. Oxalic acid is, indeed, noted (Kingsbury 1964) as the only plant
organic acid toxic to livestock under natural conditions. However, in experiments with
lichens, Stahl (1904; see also Gerson & Seaward 1977) found that the presence of calcium
oxalate did not deter predation by small animals, although that of some lichen acids did.

The British records of A. umbilicata suggest it is most probably overlooked, and is likely
to occur, even if infrequently, throughout most of eastern England. From the records to
date it should most be sought on (outward sloping) patches of sandstone or brick faces
subject to mortar run-off or other calcareous leaching. At two of the three Yorkshire sites,
exploration close by quickly revealed further colonies in the immediate vicinity.

Records of P. dubia are too few for any conclusion to be drawn except the need for
diligent field examination of Acarospora thalli.

Acknowledgements

I am most grateful to Dr C. Roux, Dr B. J. Coppins and Mr J. R. Laundon for the
determination of critical material; to Dr S. C. Clark, Dr O. L. Gilbert and Dr C. J. B.
Hitch for informative and helpful discussions; to Dr B. Sheldrick for X-ray diffraction
analysis and to Dr G. Hornung for chemical analysis; to Mr A. Hicks for scanning electron
microscopy, and to him and Mr D. J. S. Bailey for photography.

References

Clauzade, G., Roux, C. and Rieux, R. (1981) Les Acarospora de 1‘Europe occidentale et
de la region mediterraneenne. Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. Marseille 41: 41-93.

Foster, A. S. (1956) Plant idioblasts: remarkable examples of cell specialization.
Protoplasma 46: 184-193.

Franceschi, V. R. and Horner, H. T. (1980) Calcium oxalate in plants. Bot. Rev. 46:
361-427.

Gerson, U. and Seaward, M. R. D. (1977) Lichen-invertebrate associations. In Lichen
Ecology (M. R. D. Seaward, ed.). Academic Press, London.

Jones, D. and Wilson, M. J. (1985) Chemical activity of lichens on mineral surfaces - a
review. Int. Biodeterioration 21: 99-104.

Jones, D., Wilson, M. J. and Tait, J. M. (1980) Weathering of a basalt by Pertusaria
corallina. Lichenologist 12: 277-289.

Kerner von Marilaun, A. and Oliver, F. W. (1894) The Natural History of Plants. London.
Kingsbury, J. M. (1964) Poisonous Plants of the United States and Canada. Prentice Inc.,
New Jersey.

Smith, A. L. (1921) Lichens. (Cambridge Botanical Handbooks) Cambridge University
Press, Cambridge.

Stahl, E. (1904) Die Schutzmittel der Flechten gegen Tierfrass. Festschrift zum siebzigsten
Geburtstage von Ernst Haeckel. Jena.

144 Book Reviews

Vezda, A. (1978) Neue oder wenig bekannte Flechten in der Tschechoslowakei. 2. Folia
Geobot. Phytotax. 13: 397-420.

Vidrich, V., Cecconi, C. A., Ristori, G. G. and Fusi, P. (1982) Verwitterung toskanischer
Gesteine unter Mitwirkung von Flechten. Z. Pflanzennahrung u. Bodenkiinde 145:
384-389.

Wadsten, T. and Moberg, R. (1985) Calcium oxalate hydrates on the surface of lichens.
Lichenologist 17: 239-245.

Watson, W. (1953) A Census Catalogue of British Lichens. London.

Wirth, V. (1980) Flechtenflora . Ulmer, Stuttgart.

Zukal, H. (1886) Uber das Vorkommen von Reservestoffbehalten bei Kalkflechten.

Botanischer Zeitung 44: 761-770.

Note

Since this article was accepted for publication, Dr B. J. Coppins has written informing me
that he has found Polysporina dubia in a Scottish locality. Details of this most recent
record are: VC 85, Fife, 7 km north of Dunfermline, Blairadam, Craigencat Craigs,
36/102952, on south-facing basaltic crags, partly parasitic on Acarospora sinopica, 900 ft,
26 October 1986. B. J. Coppins (E).

BOOK REVIEWS

Butterflies and Late Loves: the Further Travels and Adventures of a Victorian Lady by
Margaret Fountaine. Edited by W. F. Cater. Pp. 141 + b/w photographic frontispiece.
Collins. 1986. £9.95.

Those who enjoyed Love Among the Butterflies published in 1980 (see Naturalist 106:
86-87) will no doubt want to read this further selection from the extensive series of diaries
(1878-1939) bequeathed by Margaret Fountaine to the Castle Museum, Norwich.
However, lepidopterists should not expect too much: the sub-title says it all.

Ireland by W. A. Poucher. Pp. 205, illustrated throughout in full colour. Constable. 1986.
£12.95.

Many readers will already be familiar with one or more of W. A. Poucher’s
photographic records of wild and beautiful areas of Britain. Here he turns his camera on
the lovely landscape of rural Ireland, especially its mountainous areas, the 97 colour plates
being arranged in the form of a circular tour of the country which visitors can follow. The
photography is quite superb and will delight all those who have toured the Emerald Isle,
and will tempt those unfamiliar with it to do so.

The European Garden Flora. A manual for the identification of plants cultivated in
Europe, both out-of-doors and under glass. Volume I. Pteridophyta, Gymnospermae,
Angiospermae - Monocotyledons (Part I). Edited by S. M. Walters, A. Brady, C. D.
Brickell, J. Cullen, P. S. Green, J. Lewis, V. A. Matthews, D. A. Webb, P. F. Yeo and
J. C. M. Alexander. Pp. xvi -I- 430, including 44 figures. Cambridge University Press.
1986. £55.00.

This is a comprehensive scientific guide for the identification of plants cultivated for
amenity in Europe, which does not include horticultural or agricultural crops, or garden
weeds. Sufficient synonymy is provided to cross-reference to the commonest names under
which plants may be encountered in books and catalogues old and new. The flora meets
the needs of both the informed amateur gardener and the professional plant taxonomist.

The editors and publishers are to be warmly commended for the high standard of
production: the clarity and layout of the type, especially the keys, the excellent line
drawings, glossary and index are singled out for particular praise. Obviously, only a small
proportion of the taxa described can be supported here by line drawings, so that the
references to illustration sources elsewhere are an especially helpful feature.

This magnificent project will be a quite indispensable reference work when complete -
forthcoming volumes are eagerly awaited.

MRDS

145

THE HORNET, VESPA CRABRO, CONFIRMED NESTING IN YORKSHIRE

MICHAEL E. ARCHER

The short paper by Archer (1986) summarizing observations of the hornet in Yorkshire
has stimulated much interest, and a further three records, including the first nesting
record, have been reported. The sixth record is of an active nest found during the period
end of July until the beginning of August 1985 by Mr G. Howe at Penistone (VC 63, SE
2403); Mr J. H. Flint has confirmed this record. The seventh record is of a dead queen
found on a windowsill in early June by Mr D. E. Yates at Doncaster (VC 63, SK 5699); Mr
P. Skidmore has confirmed this record. Circumstantial evidence suggests this specimen

FIGURE 1

Records of the hornet, Vespa crabro, in Yorkshire.

had over-wintered in the house and was trapped when attempting to leave on its late
spring flight. The eighth record is of a living queen captured in the Weldon Woods area
(VC 61, TA 318249) in a beehive on 15 June 1986. The specimen was sent to me by Mrs
H. M. Frost so I was able to carry out the confirmation. The fifth record, also of a queen
sent to me by Mrs Frost, has now been deposited in Keighley Museum.

These new records represent the continuing northward spread of the hornet and show
that the hornet has now reached VC 61 and VC 63 and that breeding colonies have been
established (Fig. 1). I have had the good fortune to observe a colony this year (1986)
nesting in the hollow trunk of a dead tree at Sherwood Park, Nottinghamshire (VC 56, SK
6268).

Archer M. E. (1986). A queen hornet, Vespa crabro , taken near Hull. Bull. Yorkshire

Nat. Union. 3: 5-6. October 1986.

Naturalist 111 (1986)

146

FIELD NOTE

Notable insects at Caydale (North Yorkshire)

The published reports of YNU excursions in 1984 include a brief note on the entomology
of Caydale (VC 62) which was visited on 24 June ( Naturalist 110: 74). This present note is
based upon lists of insects received subsequently and should be read in conjunction with
the report referred to.

Messrs M. L. Denton and R. J. Marsh have individually produced useful lists of beetles
for the valley, notable additional records to those already published (l.c.) being the weevil
Gymnetron pascuorum (Gyll.), the ground beetle Trechus secalis (Pk.) and the moorland
species Pterostichus adstrictus Esch. reported by Mike Denton, who also records the water
beetle Platambus maculatus (L.), a typical species of running water, and the leaf beetle
Bruchus loti Pk. which is associated with vetches. Amongst the beetles reported by Bob
Marsh are the ground beetle Stomis pumicatus (Panz.), the rove beetle Quedius nitipennis
(Steph.), and the tiny Pselaphus heisei (Herbst) from wet moss under a small waterfall.
The soldier beetles Malthodes fuscus (Waltl) and M. fibulatps Kies, were collected by
general sweeping, and the tiny fungus beetle Litargus connexus (Fourc.) was found under
the bark of a fallen tree. Finally, Mr Marsh reports the beautiful green beetle Oedemera
virescens (L.) which, like Ischnomera sanguinicollis previously noted, is one of the very
local species to be found in wooded valleys of the general area in which Caydale is
situated.

Of particular note was the small reddish weevil Anthonomus bituberculatus Thoms, of
which Mr R. Crossley found a single specimen. This hawthorn species has possibly been
confused in the past with the closely allied A. ulmi (Deg.) and attention was drawn to this
in a paper (Morris, M. G., 1977, The British species of Anthonomus Germar (Col.,
Curculionidae), Entomologist’s mon. Mag. 112: 19-40). This constitutes the first record of
the species for Yorkshire, although other specimens may be present in collections under
the name A. ulmi.

Mr K. G. Payne reports four species of caddis flies, Odontocerum albicome (Scop.),
(coll. R.C.), Sericostoma personatum (Spence), Tinodes dives (Pictet) and Agapetus
fuscipes Curtis. All are species typical of fairly fast flowing streams. Kenneth Payne also
records three species of crane flies, Tipula lateralis Mg., T. vernalis Mg., and T. pruinosa
Wied., commenting that the first two are often plentiful in a range of wet habitats, whilst
the third is frequent but rather local in Yorkshire.

Flies of the families Empididae and Dolichopodidae were collected by Roy Crossley
who identified 14 empid species and 13 dolichopodids. Most are common and widespread
but of note are the dolichopodids Hypophyllus crinipes (Staeg.) which also occurs nearby
at Ashberry, and Hercostomus celer (Mg.) which is a rather local species.

I am obliged to Messrs Denton, Marsh and Payne for species lists and to Mr J. H. Flint,
YNU recorder for Coleoptera, for helpful comments on the beetles reported.

ROY CROSSLEY

CHINESE MITTEN CRABS

A second record of the Chinese Mitten Crab, Eriocheir sinensis Milne-Edwards, in
Yorkshire is reported. It was collected from the River Ouse at Cawood by eel netsman Mr
Tom Hunt. The crab is female and has a carapace width of c.l cm and a leg span of c.22
cm. This follows the collection of specimens from the River Thames in 1976 and recently
from the River Ancholme, Lincolnshire (Clark, P., 1984, Recent records of Alien Crabs
in Britain, Naturalist 109: 111-112).

Any further findings of this crab in Yorkshire should be reported and specimens sent to
the Biology Section, Yorkshire Water, North & East Division, 32-34 Monkgate, York
Y03 7RH, who will forward the reports to the National Recorders.

147

BOTANICAL RECORDS MADE BY WILLIAM GAWTHORP OF RIPLEY
NEAR HARROGATE IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY

R. D. CUNDALL

32 Woodside, Harrogate HG1 5NG

In a letter to the Editor of The Naturalist (1983, 108; 164), the Keeper of Botany of the
Merseyside County Museums drew attention to a copy in their possession of John Wilson’s
book A Synopsis of British Plants in Mr. Ray’s Method (1744) which originally belonged to
William Gawthorp of Ripley and contained numerous annotations by him from 1746
onwards giving the exact localities for many of the plants he observed. Ripley lies in the
middle of the area of study of the Harrogate and District Naturalists’ Society, who two
centuries later published in 1978 a Botanical Atlas of the Harrogate District on a 1 km
square basis. The Keeper kindly lent the book to the Society, and it is hoped that this
comparison of Gawthorp’s records with those of the present day may be of value to those
interested in the flora of Yorkshire.

Who were Ray, Wilson and Gawthorp? In the preface to his admirable biography of
John Ray, Professor Charles Raven described how to him ‘it became clear that the change
from the old world of superstition, the world in which there was no settled frame of
reference except that fashioned by deduction from the Bible and Aristotle, the world of
alchemy and magic, took place not in the eighteenth century but in the seventeenth; that
the transition was made by the simultaneous labours of the “new philosophers” in Italy,
France, Holland and Britain; and that in the realm of biology, or at least of botany and
zoology, there was one man of outstanding genius, “our countryman, the excellent Mr.
Ray’”. John Ray (1627-1705) contributed greatly to the classification of plants, using a
wider basis of structure and natural affinities than Linnaeus, who fastened on a single
character, the sexual structure of the flower, and in 1682 published his Methodus
Plantarum. His work on the flora of Britain reached its climax in his Synopsis methodica
stirpium Britannicarum (1690).

John Wilson (1696-1751) was a shoemaker and baker of Kendal. His A Synopsis of
British Plants in Mr. Ray’s Method was written in English and published in Newcastle
upon Tyne in 1744. In naming plants Wilson often refers to Ray’s Synopsis, of which the
third edition was published in 1724 after Ray’s death, and also to earlier authors such as
Gerard, Parkinson and Caspar Bauhin. On the title page of his copy of Wilson’s book is
written ‘William Gawthorp’s of Ripley 1746’. Gawthorp may have known Wilson as they
were both natives of Westmorland. According to the Parish Register, Gawthorp was
Rector of Ripley from 1736 till his death and burial in the churchyard there in 1759. Six
annotations are dated, i.e. one just before Gawthorp’s death in 1759, 1770, 1771 (2), 1772
and 1773. Perhaps one of Gawthorp’s family or a friend continued recording in the book
after his death. He is not included in Desmond’s edition of the Biographical Index of
British and Irish Botanists and Horticulturists. He refers to Mr. H. W. Sharp, Mr. Barker,
and Dr. Thornbeck who gave him Calceolus Mariae (the Lady’s Slipper). His handwriting
was good on the whole, though some of the words are difficult to decipher and some are
abbreviated because of lack of space. One or two of the identifications seem improbable,
but I have not excluded any.

Gawthorp made about 500 annotations in the book to mark which species he had found
and where. In studying these the first step in many cases was to find the modern binomial
names of plants corresponding to the pre-Linnaean polynomials used by Wilson. Ewen
and Prime in their translation of Ray’s Flora of Cambridgeshire give the equivalents of
many of Ray’s names of plants. Dr. W. A. Sledge has kindly helped me with the names of
other species, using Sir James Edward Smith’s Flora Britannica (1800-1804) wherein
pre-Linnaean polynomials are cited for all species. Gawthorp’s records have been studied
on a geographical basis by listing the localities he named, and the species he found there.

Naturalist 111 (1986)

148

Botanical Records made by William Gawthorp of Ripley

In the following study I have asterisked the names of species in localities within the
H.D.N.S. study area which according to the Botanical Atlas are no longer to be found in
those localities. When Gawthorp started recording he would first have noted the common
plants near his home, so the locality with the highest number of species, totalling over 160,
is the vicinity of Ripley. Sometimes he is precise about the place, e.g. Linaria vulgaris
(Common Toadflax) ‘in Mr. Bayne’s Pasture, Ripley’ or Hypericum pulchrum (Slender
St. John’s wort) ‘in Sir John’s walk by Whiply Lane’. Some notable species there were
Scabiosa columbaria (Small Scabious)*, Turritis glabra (Tower Mustard)*, Melilotis
altissima (Tall Melilot)* and Allium vineale (Crow Garlic)* (‘in Church Pasture too
plentif.’). Some localities must have been wetland: for instance Ash Wells, Ripley had
Menyanthes trifoliata (Bogbean)*, Epipactis palustris (Marsh Helleborine)*, Pinguicula
vulgaris (Common Butterwort)*, Primula farinosa (Bird’s eye Primrose)*, Trollius
europaeus (Globe Flower)* and Paris quadrifolia (Herb Paris)*. ‘Jn. Proctor’s Pasture’ in
the same area held Senecio erucifolius (Hoary Ragwort)*, Baldellia ranunculoides (Lesser
Water-plantain)*, Gentianella amarella (Autumn Gentian)* and Sagina nodosa (Knotted
Pearlwort)*. In nearby ‘Duke [i.e. Marmaduke] Hardcastle’s Pasture’ grew Utricularia
vulgaris and U. minor (Greater and Lesser Bladderwort)*, and Drosera rotundifolia and
D. intermedia (Round-leaved and Oblong-leaved Sundew)*. ‘In the Stanks’ Gawthorp
found Parnassia palustris (Grass of Parnassus)*. Ripley Lime Kiln contained Blackstonia
perfoliata (Yellowwort)* with Ophrys insectifera (Fly Orchid)*. ‘Old Nyd, Ripley’ had
Bidens cernua (Nodding Bur-marigold), Alisma plantago-aquatica (Common Water-
plantain) and Epipactis palustris* . In Sawcroft Brow were found Lathraea squamaria
(Toothwort)* and Neottia nidus-avis (Bird’s nest Orchid)*. Platanthera chlorantha and P.
bifolia (Butterfly Orchid and Lesser Butterfly-orchid)* grew in pastures round Holly Bank
Wood. Gawthorp noticed Botryclnium lunaria (Moonwort)* in Toft Riggs Pasture, in Mr.
Coates Pasture, and at High Rails. ‘Sir Jno.’s Mount’ had Epipactis helleborine
(Broad-leaved Helleborine)*, ‘Old Star Pasture’ contained Hottonia palustris (Water
Violet)*, while Anagallis tenella (Bog Pimpernel)* was found in ‘Geo. Wilson’s black
bog’.

Near Ripley on Scaro Moor grew Hypericum elodes (Marsh St. John’s wort)* and at
Kettlespring Rhinanthus serotinus (Greater Yellow Rattle)*. Just to the east in Newton
Wath Lane was Calamintha nepeta (Lesser Calamint)*, at Newton Wath Sium latifolium
(Greater Water-parsnip)*, and at Newton Hall Artemisia absinthium (Wormwood)*. To
the south of Ripley Chrysanthemum vulgare (Tansy)* was found above Killinghall bridge,
Mentha pulegium (Pennyroyal)* at Killinghall near J. Broadbelt’s, Nepeta cataria
(Catmint)* at the ‘Low end of Killinghall’, and Hypericum elodes* on a bog near
Killinghall. At Harrogate Gawthorp recorded Antennaria dioica (Mountain Everlasting)*
‘on Harrogate Knocks’, Scutellaria minor (Lesser Skullcap)* on ‘Harrogate Moor nr great
Crag below Turnpike ovr Knox’, Apium inundatum (Lesser Marshwort)* ‘in the mill race
above Turnpike Road Knox’, and Osmunda regalis (Royal Fern)* on Hewkstone
(possibly Hookstone) Cragg. Ophioglossum vulgatum (Adder’s Tongue)* grew ‘in Foolish
Close below Bilton Hall’. At Spofforth Asplenium adiantum-nigrum (Black Spleenwort)
was found on Spofforth Manor Walls, and Lemna polyrhiza (Great Duckweed)* in
Spofforth dam head.

To the east of Ripley Gawthorp recorded Osmunda regalis* at Susakers ‘in a pond near
the Houses’, Serratula tinctoria (Saw-wort) at ‘South Side next Breerton Moor’, Samolus
valerandi (Brookweed) on ‘Brierton Moor, under Susacres Inclosures plentifully in a
Carr’, Primula farinosa* at Susacres, and Nepeta cataria* at ‘Breerton’ and Filago
germanica (Common Cudweed)* in ‘Scotton Stone quarry’. Epipactis palustris* and
Echium vulgare (Viper’s Bugloss) grew at Walkingham Mill, and Ranunculus lingua
(Greater Spearwort)* in Walkingham Mill Dam. Staveley and its Carr held many wetland
plants. There Gawthorp found Hippuris vulgaris (Mare’s-tail), Potamogeton lucens
(Shining Pondweed)*, P. natans (Broad-leaved Pondweed), P. perfoliatus (Perfoliate
Pondweed)*, Groenlandia densa (Opposite-leaved Pondweed), Oenanthe aquatica (Fine-
leaved Water-dropwort)* and O. fistulosa (Tubular Water-dropwort)*, Apium

Botanical Records made by William Gawthorp of Ripley 149

inundatum * and A. graveolens (Wild Celery)*, Samolus valerandi, Lythrum salicaria
(Purple Loosestrife), and Nymphaea lutea (Yellow Water-lily). Also found at Staveley
were Daucus carota (Wild Carrot), Thalictrum flavum (Common Meadow Rue), Ly copus
europaeus (Gipsywort), Chamaenerion angustifolium (Rose Bay) and Sagina nodosa. At
‘Aldbro’ grew Onoperdon acanthium (Scotch Thistle)*. Knaresborough, about 5 miles
east of Ripley, stands on Magnesian limestone. Gawthorp found Bidens tripartita
(Bur-Marigold)* ‘on this side Knaresborough’ and Cystopteris fragilis (Brittle Bladder-
fern)* ‘below Knaresborough high bridge’. He recorded Parietaria diffusa (Pellitory-of-
the-wall), Pulicaria dysenterica (Common Fleabane)*, Cynoglossum officinale (Hound’s
Tongue)*, Echium vulgare* , Verbena officinalis (Vervain)*, Salvia horminoides (Wild
Clary)*, Marrubium vulgare (White Horehound)*, Calamintha nepeta *, Malva neglecta
(Dwarf Mallow)*, Atropa belladonna (Deadly Nightshade)*, Paris quadrifolia* ,
Aquilegia vulgaris (Columbine)*, Hyoscyamus niger (Henbane)*, Cheiranthus cheiri
(Wallflower), Tur rids glabra* , Coronopus squamatus (Swine-cress)*, Melilotus altissima* ,
Silene nutans (Nottingham Catchfly)*, Geranium sanguineum (Bloody Crane’s-bill)* and
Allium carinatum (Keeled Garlic)*.

The band of Magnesian limestone extends north-westwards from Knaresborough, and
Gawthorp evidently found a botanical happy hunting ground around Ripon, Staveley and
Fountains Abbey. He found Equisetum hyemale (Dutch Rush)* at ‘Laver Bank and
Bishopton Alders near Ripon’, Rumex hydrolapathum (Water Dock)* in a ‘Ditch low side
Rippon common’, Hottonia palustris* ‘near Ripon in ditches common’, Misopates
orontium (Lesser Snapdragon)* on ‘Red Bank nr. Ripon’, Butomus umbellatus
(Flowering Rush)* ‘In a ditch east side of Ripon comn.’, Trifolium scabrum (Rough
Clover)* ‘on Alcey Hill behind Ripon Minster Mr. B.’, Gagea lutea (Yellow Star-of-
Bethlehem) at ‘Skell crooks near Ripon’, Neottia nidus-avis * at ‘South scar and Laver
Banks nr Ripon’, while at Quarry Moor, Ripon grew Ononis spinosa (Spiny Restharrow)*
and Spiranthes spiralis (Autumn Lady’s-tresses)*.

In Studley Park Gawthorp recorded Potentilla fruticosa (Shrubby Cinquefoil)*,
Polygonatum multiflorum (Solomon’s seal)*, Aquilegia vulgaris, Campanula glomerata
(Clustered Bellflower), and Anacamptis pyramidalis (Pyramidal Orchid)*. ‘South Scar
and Mackleshaw Studley Park’ contained Ophrys insectifera* , O. apifera (Bee Orchid)*,
Platanthera bifolia* and surprisingly Cephalanthera rubra (Red Helleborine)*. Lathyrus
aphaca (Yellow Vetchling)* grew in Studley Field, Equisetum hyemale* ‘at low end of
South Scar’ and Erigeron acer (Blue Fleabane)* at ‘South Scar nr. Studley’. Thalictrum
minus (Lesser Meadow-rue) and Convallaria maialis (Lily-of-the-Valley)* were found in
Mackleshaw.

At the ‘low end of Fountains wood near Studley Park pales plentif.’ was Paris
quadrifolia* , and ‘out of the rocks above Fountains Abbey’ grew Helleborus foetidus
(Stinking Hellebore). Among Gawthorp’s records for Fountains Abbey were Asplenium
viride (Green Spleenwort)*, ‘Dormitory, Fountains Abbey south end’, Lactuca virosa
(Greater Prickly Lettuce)*, Parietaria diffusa, Erigeron acer, Dipsacus pilosus (Small
Teasel), Smyrnium olusatrum (Alexanders)*, Actaea spicata (Baneberry)* ‘below
Fountains Mill’, Atropa belladonna, Aquilegia vulgaris, Lathraea squamaria ‘in Kitching
bank’, Turritis glabra*, Meconopsis cambrica (Welsh Poppy)* and Polygonatum
multiflorum* . The Common Pink he found was presumably Dianthus plumarius, not D.
caryophyllus which seems to be the equivalent name to his. ‘In the pasture above
Fountains’ grew Botrychium lunaria* , and in the ‘Lane going from Fountains Hall to
Aldfield’ he found Asplenium adiantum-nigrum* . Further north at ‘Hack-fall: upper part
near River’ grew Astragalus glycyphyllos (Wild Liquorice)*, and ‘below Tanfield down
the River Bank’ was Filipendula vulgaris (Dropwort).

Gawthorp did not make many records to the west of Ripley. ‘In Sturdy Lane, below
Brimha craggs’ he found Paris quadrifolia* . Antennaria dioica grew ‘At the low end of
Lady riggs 1 mile above Pateley’, Cirsium heterophyllum (Melancholy Thistle)* above
Pateley, and Trientalis europaea (Chickweed Wintergreen)* ‘on Toft Rigs next Moor-
houses a mile above Pateley, among the Bent’.

150

Botanical Records made by William Gawthorp of Ripley

There are some annotations of notable species further afield from Ripley and outside
the area of the H.D.N.S. Gawthorp found Ononis spinosa ‘near Adle Dam’, Asplenium
adiantum-nigrum at Burley 1 mile west of Leeds, Picris echioides (Bristly Ox-Tongue) ‘at
Sandall near Wakefield in a close below Mr. Touch’s House’, and Inula conyza
(Ploughman’s Spikenard) ‘near Pontefract in a lane leading towards Wakefield’. There is a
surprising record of Pyrola rotundifolia (Round-leaved Wintergreen) from Bramham
Park. At Thorp Arch Torilis nodosa (Knotted Hedge-parsley) grew ‘on the ledges of the
Rock just below the Mill’, and in the river near there was Potamogeton perfoliatus. The
‘River Bank below Thorp Spaw’ was another site for Actaea spicata , and Caucalis latifolia
(Greater Bur-parsley) was found ‘in Clifford Fields nr Thorp Spaw’. ‘Betwixt York and
Popleton’ grew Solanum nigrum (Black Nightshade), and Onopordon acanthium about
York. Gentiana pneumonanthe (Marsh Gentian) was seen on ‘Charlton moor near
Thirsk’, and Centaurea calcitrapa (Red Star-thistle) ‘below Newcautles’. Near Settle
Gawthorp found Armeria maritima (Thrift) ‘at head of Stockdale Fields in Bleaberrygill’
and ‘nr. Hinklehaugh’, and Polygonatum odoratum (Angular Solomon’s Seal) ‘on the
ledges of the scars above Astick pasture’. Impatiens noli-tangere (Touch-me-not) grew
‘near Grigg Hall Underbarrow Westmoreland’ and Serratula tinctoria at ‘Winder-meer’. I
do not know the whereabouts of Kaley Hall, near which Gawthorp found Polemonium
caeruleum (Jacob’s Ladder). The only record he seems to have made south of Yorkshire
was of Althaea officinalis (Marsh Mallow) ‘at Guy-Hurn, nr. Wisbech, Cambridgeshire’.

‘Its epitaph is Ichabod’ (i.e. the glory has departed) wrote Dr. F. Arnold Lees of
Osmunda regalis in Nidderdale, and blamed the ‘bipedal venality and greed that brought
about its annihilation’. What glorious flowers we have lost from the localities where
Gawthorp recorded them in the 18th century. Those familiar with the records of botanists
in the 19th and 20th centuries in this area may be able to trace the progressive
disappearance of some of these species. No doubt this was due in most cases to the
changes of habitat, especially to the drainage of wet land and resowing of pastures. After
much research, Sir Thomas Ingleby managed to identify many of the localities given by
Gawthorp in the Ripley district, though nearly all the names have long since disappeared
from usage. He suspected that many of the pastures were ploughed out during the War.
Staveley Carr was drained. Other land, e.g. at Knaresborough, would have been built
over. Many cornfield weeds are no longer to be found because of the use of cleaner seed
corn and weedkillers. Among the plants Gawthorp found growing in corn were Cichorium
intybus (Chicory), Bupleurum rotundifolium (Thorow-wax)*, Sherardia arvensis (Field
Madder)*, Galeopsis ladanum* , Delphinium consolida (Forking Larkspur), Legousia
hybrida (Venus’s-looking-glass), Kickxia elatina (Sharp-leaved Fluellen) and Ly thrum
salicaria. He also listed at Ripley Agrostemma githago (Corn-cockle)*, and described as
too plentiful Papaver rhoeas (Corn Poppy) and P. somniferum (Opium Poppy)*.
Bupleurum and Agrostemma have now been virtually eliminated throughout Britain.

It is surprising that Gawthorp did not mention the locality of Farnham Mires, nor the
bog on Brimham Moor, and there are some unexpected omissions from his recorded
species. Since his day some habitats have been gained, such as railway cuttings, grouse
moors, and disused limestone quarries and gravel pits, and some plants have been
introduced and spread. Some notable species are still to be found where Gawthorp
recorded them over two centuries ago, particularly in localities which have changed little,
e.g. Fountains Abbey. Others may yet be awaiting rediscovery by a search of the less
disturbed sites.

I am very grateful to Dr. W. A. Sledge for suggesting and amending this paper, and also
for his assistance, including the information about John Wilson, and for the modern
equivalents of many of the plant names he used.

151

SWALLOWS

It is possible that swallows have associated with man ever since Homo sapiens first joined
them in Britain. We do not know where swallows nested before there were buildings, but
it is possible that - being a species with a preference for a roof over their heads - they bred
in caves and shared them with man. As buildings developed, the association with humans
would continue. It seems likely that a species so well known would be among the first of
our birds to be named.

Because of the smallness of the human population and lack of communications,
different names were probably used by each community. When the Romans came they
brought a name that was already in use in many parts of Europe, and was used in literature
until the English language developed. By the fourteenth century Geoffrey Chaucer in his
poem The Parlement of Foules’ used the present name, although with different spelling.
He wrote:

The swalwe, mortherere of foules smale
That maken hony of floures freshe of heewe.’

The small fowls that the swallow was accused of murdering are now known as bees.

Naturalist 111 (1986)

152

A FURTHER NOTE ON NEW ZEALAND DECOY

In recent summaries of information about the duck decoys of the Thorne Moors region
{Naturalist 103: 95-103, 107: 69-71; M. Limbert, R. D. Mitchell and R. J. Rhodes, Thorne
Moors: Birds and Man , Doncaster, 1986), no precise facts elucidating the origin of New
Zealand Decoy could be given. However, a recent investigation of the J. S. Taylor
Archives, held by the Archives Department of the Doncaster Metropolitan Borough
Council, has yielded some relevant data. The archives include notebooks written by
Taylor on aspects of the history of Thorne and district. These notes include details ‘taken
from a small ms. history of Thorne’, compiled by a member of the Durham family (it is not
exactly certain who) in 1923. Taylor commented that the manuscript history may have
been taken largely from a paper written by Makin Durham (obituary in Doncaster
Gazette , 31 March 1882), which was presented to a meeting of the Thorne Literary and
Scientific Association on 31 May 1844. However, this cannot apply to some useful
information which is included on the origin of New Zealand Decoy, partly constructed in
1880, but soon abandoned:

The late Makin Durham C.E. improved the Thorne moors by constructing many
drains and lowering the surface to bring it below the Ouse tide level, thus enabling it
to be warped . . . Colonel Vickers carried on the work after Mr Durham’s death.
[Makin Durham] produced a scheme of dry warping which requires reservoirs to be
made in certain places; the tides flow into them, till full of warp, after which the water
should be let out, the warp is dried and conveyed by railway to the moor and high
sandy lands. Mr Durham constructed two, one at the cottages near the moors at the
end of Grange Farm, another near New Zealand called the Duck Decoy and now
warped up ... .

Clearly, New Zealand Decoy originated as an opportunist usage for a pre-existing pool
which had become redundant.

MARTIN LIMBERT
Museum & Art Gallery, Doncaster

CHAMAEMY1A JUNCORUM (FALLEN)

(DIPTERA, CHAMAEMYIIDAE) IN YORKSHIRE (AND DERBYSHIRE)

The Chamaemyiidae are small, silvery flies with rows of dark spots on the abdomen in
most species. Their larvae are aphid and coccid predators. Chamaemyia juncorum (Fall.)
was recorded in Yorkshire from Allerthorpe Common (SE74, VC 61) early this century by
Audcent, and from Spurn (TA41, VC 61) in 1946, but all records of Chamaemyia prior to
Collin’s key are suspect. Collin’s key to the species of Chamaemyia (1966, Trans. Soc.
Brit. Ent. 17(IV): 121-8) describes C. juncorum as ‘a species found in Scotland only' and
states that ‘all records of English specimens . . . are almost certainly incorrect’.

I have collected C. juncorum in the Pennines near Masham (SE1778, VC 65) in 1981, at
Malham Tarn (Tarn Close and East Shoreline Plantation, both SD 8967, and the Fen, SD
8867, VC 64) in 1984, and at Eyam Moor (SK2278 and 2179, VC 57) in 1984. At Malham
Tarn Fen and Eyam Moor the species was abundant, and at the former site it was taken
with Themira germanica Duda (Diptera, Sepsidae), otherwise known outside Scotland
only from two sites in Herefordshire (Pont, A., 1978, Royal Ent. Soc. Lond. Handbook
5c: 17). These records are not too surprising as a number of ‘Scottish’ insects do extend
down into the Southern Pennines, such as the water beetle Agabus arcticus (Paykull)
(Lee, J., in Zasada, K. A. and Smith, E. H., 1981, Sorby Record Special Series IV, p.61)
and the bluebottle Calliphora loewi Enderlein (Whiteley, D., 1978, Sorby Record 16: 50).

I have also found C. juncorum in the lowlands of Yorkshire, which is more unexpected
because this area is the north-eastern limit of many ‘Southern England’ insects. I have
records from Allerthorpe Common N.R. (SE7647, VC 61) in 1984 and from nine sites in
Rotherham (VC 63) - Maltby Wood (SK5491) in 1980, Fitzwilliam Canal, Parkgate
(SK4394) and Wickersley Gorse (SK4790) in 1982, Ravenfield Park (SK4995), Rawmarsh

Naturalist 111 (1986)

Book Reviews

153

(SK4396) and Catcliffe Flash N.R. (SK4288) in 1984, and Maltby Dyke (SK5291) and
River Don at Thrybergh (SK4594 and SK4595) in 1985. At the latter site it was taken in
company with C. paludosum which has not previously been recorded outside the
Cambridgeshire fens (I. F. G. McLean, pers. comm.).

The above notes indicate that Chamaemyia juncorum is widely distributed in Northern
England and is sometimes quite common. I thank P. Skidmore (YNU Diptera recorder)
for the early Yorkshire records and Dr I. F. G. McLean for helpful comments on an
earlier draft. BILL ELY

Clifton Park Museum , Rotherham.

BOOK REVIEWS

The Squirrel in the Trees, The Rabbit in the Fields, The Frog in the Pond and The Crab on
the Seashore, each with a text by Jennifer Coldrey and photographs by Oxford Scientific
Films. Methuen. 1986. Each 32 pages, copiously illustrated in colour & line drawings, and
£4.95.

The first four titles in a new series, ‘Animal Habitats’, of attractively produced books on
natural history for children. The informative texts are straightforwardly factual in
approach, but simple in presentation and style, and accompanied by excellent illus-
trations. The two on rabbits and squirrels, which deal with a comparatively small number
of species, are perhaps more successful than those on crabs and frogs where information
on a wider range of species has to be compressed into the same short format; similarly, the
photographs in these have to portray more species and consequently fewer activities.

A very commendable publishing project, which should appeal both to young naturalists
and to their teachers.

Profitable Beekeeping by Laurie R. Croft. Pp. 104, with 8 figures. Elmwood Books. 1986.
£4.95.

Amateur beekeepers often feel insecure about their charges, and every new book is
eagerly thumbed through; is this the one that will really tell me what to do and how to do
it? Swarm-control-at-a-glance? Queen-raising-in-five-simple-steps? What a blessing that
book will be when it comes on the market, and how well it will sell. Profitable Beekeeping
is not the one we are looking for. To be fair, it doesn’t claim to be; its main message is that
beekeeping is less popular in Britain than it ought to be, and that beekeepers can profit in
all kinds of ways besides selling honey. It is helpful, positive and enthusiastic, and shows
some of the basic methods of beekeeping. There is sound advice for the beginner about
getting good instruction before starting, avoiding heavy outlay on expensive equipment,
keeping gentle stocks, and collecting swarms from difficult situations. I do not see it,
however, as a beginners’ book, and I seriously doubt if beginners should start with the
hope of making profit; they’ll be lucky to break even over a number of years. Like Dr
Croft I'd be glad to see more backyard beekeeping, but I think profit comes from
successful management in bad seasons, rather than from selling propolis to violin-makers
or making shoe polish from beeswax. Interesting, idiosyncratic, and cheerful nevertheless.

Mr Marshal’s Flower Album from the Royal Library at Windsor Castle. Introduction and
commentary by John Fisher, preface by Jane Roberts. Pp. 128, and 36 colour plates.
Victor Gollancz. 1985. £20.00.

Alexander Marshal died at Fulham Palace on 7 December 1682. His origins are obscure
but he was a well-known artist by the late 1640s when he painted a portrait of the Countess
of Dysart. In 1658 he was described as a gentleman artist ‘comparable with any now
beyond seas’. Marshal’s known works include several oils and this album of flower
paintings, the so-called Windsor Florilegium which contains 161 (originally 164) folios.
Thirty-six are reproduced in this slim, expensive volume.

154

Book Reviews

This book is a mere sampler of Marshal’s work. John Fisher’s commentaries on the
flowers provide some interest for the general reader, but I did not see any point in a long
discussion of Gentiana verna which (as Fisher states) is not depicted. Jane Roberts’s
excellent biography is certainly of value to historians of art and natural history.

The plates in this book show a range of flowers. Some native British plants are included,
but there is a preponderance of exotic subjects, most of which are familiar garden plants:
daffodils, hyacinths, the hardy Virginian Tradescantia, and of course tulips which were so
fashionable in the mid-seventeenth century. The portrait of auricula cultivars (p. 33) is
striking and shows what variety gardeners enjoyed during the mid- 1600s. Marshal's
technique is outstanding, equalled by only the best modern botanical artists, and his
colours seem to have stayed fresh.

On some of the plates there are animal vignettes, often caterpillars and insects, but
occasionally larger beasts, as for example, a grass-snake, a dog and a ‘Mexico munkey’. I
am inclined to think that Marshal was a better painter of animals than of plants, but this
book does not contain a fair representation of his work. The standard of production of this
slim volume is shoddy. I am disgusted by the treatment of some of the plates. Why, in a
book costing £20, are we treated to reproductions in which parts of the plates are
deliberately truncated - the coils of the grass-snake, the dog’s tail, the base of the dog’s
tooth violet? For the sake of including the folio number (in the top-right hand corner) the
designer has left large areas of blank paper but ruthlessly chopped chunks off the base and
sides of each plate. The original folios measure 47 x 35.3 cm and the reproductions 24.8 x
17.2 cm (a reduction to about half size); could not the page size have been increased a
little and the whole plate been reproduced, scruffy margins and all? It is a serious defect in
this book, which makes me refrain from recommending it except to the most ardent
collectors of Royal coffee-table books, and to historians of botanical art and natural
history. ECN

The New Where to Watch Birds by John Gooders. Pp. 224, with many maps. Andre
Deutsch. 1986. £7.95.

Birdwatchers who know the earlier version of this book will rejoice at the new edition,
which has gained in length and strength and lost nothing. Newcomers to birdwatching in
Britain are simply advised to buy it. It tells you where to go, how to get there, and what to
look out for; it is sensibly laid out, and covers minor as well as major places of interest.
There is no better guide to British birdwatching sites on the market.

Gilbert White: A Selborne Year. The ‘Naturalist’s Journal’ for 1784. Edited by Edward
Dadswell and illustrated by Nichola Armstrong. Pp. 128, fully illustrated in colour. Webb
& Bower/Michael Joseph. 1986. £10.95.

Many of us will think of Gilbert White as the author of a single, much-loved work. The
Natural History of Selborne. However, he was also an indefatigable diarist and
record-keeper, drawing on his observations over the last 26 years of his life to write his
magnum opus. Here we have just one of his notebooks, that for 1784, a year remarkable
for its extraordinary weather conditions. This is the first time it has been published in its
entirety, and it provides some insights into White’s domestic life and the activities of his
servants and neighbours. It must be confessed, however, that an undue amount of space is
taken up by his laconic and repetitious weather reports, e.g. ‘Sept. 4. Vast dew', ‘Sept. 5.
Vast dew’, ‘Sept. 8. Vast white dew’, ‘Sept. 1 1. Great dew’, etc., etc. Also, in spite of the
sub-title, the natural history content is only mildly interesting and contains little of real
scientific merit.

The illustrations are of two kinds, portraying on the one hand stylized country scenes
and rustic pursuits, and on the other, fairly detailed studies of individual plants, birds,
etc.; the former seem much more suited to a child’s picture book or greetings-card, with
unnaturally twisted trees and brightly-clad peasants; the latter are generally more
satisfactory (although the plants depicted on pp. 66-67 should have been numbered to
correspond to the would-be explanatory rubric; as it stands it is unintelligible). VAH

155

The Wild Life Parks of Africa by Nicholas Luard. Pp. 240, illustrated with monochrome
and colour plates. Michael Joseph. 1985. £15.95.

This book is divided into two main parts: the first deals with the problems and processes
of managing wilderness areas and the second provides an inventory of the parks existing
within the continent. The former is introduced through a historical outline of the growth
of the National Park movement in Africa, followed by a chapter outlining the habitat and
habits of wildlife in, particularly, the savanna environment. The author handles the
procedures and logic of managing populations with care and sensitivity. He commendably
selects his examples from a broad spectrum of localities and species. The short account of
each park includes data on its size, location, area and an evaluation (graded from A to C)
of the facilities for the ordinary visitor, with a guide to the best months of the year to visit
each of them. General descriptions of the topography, vegetation and common animals
the visitor may expect to see are also provided.

By virtue of its first part this book is more than a useful guide. It is useful reading for
those interested in African fauna and is particularly valuable to anyone contemplating a
safari to the game parks of Africa. Its good quality wildlife illustrations complement the
text well.

AVD

CONTRIBUTORS

Archer, M. E., 31-33, 38, 109, 145
Atherden, M. A., 97

Beaumont, H. E., 110-111
Blocked, T. L., 33-35, 100
Boyle, P. J., 70-71
Bramley, W. G., 99-100
Brightman, F. H., 24, 48
Burnham, P. M., 79-86

Chicken, E., 87-90
Crackles, E., 23
Cross, T., 71
Crossley, R., 41-46, 146
Cundall, R. D., 147-150

Dare, P. J., 49-54, 129-137
Davies, B. E., 112
Davis, B. N. K.,9-15
Delany, A. V.,37, 155
Denton, M. L., 91-96
Dickinson, B. M., 69
Disney, R. H. L., 113-121
Duncan, J. E., 90

Elliott, J. M., 125-128

Ely, W. A., 101, 103, 106-107, 152-153

Flint, J.H., 25-30
Foster, S., 21-22

Gilbert, O. L., Ill
Gilpin, A., 91, 151

Grant, D. R., 99, 101-102, 104, 107-108

Hale, W. H. G.,72
Hambler, D. J., 70, 110
Hawkswell, A., 99-100, 102
Henderson, A., 139-144
Heron, A., 99
Hewson, R., 73-78
Higginbottom, T., 105-106
Hind, R. D.,69

Hinton, V. A., 39, 111, 124, 154
Holliday, S., 106
Howes, C. A., 109-110
Hyatt, K.H., 17-21,55-59

Lee, P., 103, 106, 107
Limbert, M., 59-60, 151-152
Little, B., 123-124

Mather, J. R., 54, 68-69

Nelson, E. C., 153-154
Norris, A., 97-98

Pashby, B. S., 102, 103
Payne, J., 100, 101
Payne, K., 98-99
Pearson, J. A., 104, 108
Pellant,C., 97-109
Pellant, H. S., 97-109

Reid, C., 121-123
Richardson, D. T., 69-70
Rimington, W. E., 67-68
Robertson, J., 102, 104
Roome, N. J., 35-36
Rotherham, I. D., 61-67

156

Seaward, M. R. D., 36, 38, 39, 68, 71-72,
124, 138, 144
Sharp, C., 15-16
Smith, C. J., 99, 103-104
Smith, D. H., 105
Smith, J. K., 36-37, 37, 112
Stonehouse, B., 152, 153

Taylor, R., 108
Thayre,M.E., 137-138
Tullett,P. A., 125-128

Wall, T., 102, 109

Wallis, A. J., 97, 100-101, 102-103

Whitehead, J., 15-16

Yalden, D. W., 3-8, 47, 47-48

INDEX

Acarology

A new species of Poecilochirus from
Yorkshire, 17-21; Amblygamasus
dentipes new to the British Isles, 55-59

Biography

Naturalists on Hatfield Moor, 59-60;
Botanical records made by William
Gawthorp, 147-150

Book Reviews

35-39, 46-48, 54, 68-72, 90, 109-112,
123-124, 137-138, 144, 152, 153-155

Botany

J uncus ambiguus in Yorkshire, 23;
Rhododendron ponticum in the Peak
District and Sheffield area, 61-67;
Taraxacum in south-east Yorkshire,
87-90; Botanical records made by
William Gawthorp, 147-150

Bryology

YNU Bryological Section: annual report
1984-1985, 33-35

Crustacea

Chinese Mitten Crabs, 146

Entomology

Insect fauna of Common Rock-rose,
9-15; Hemiptera report, 21-22;
Coleoptera reports, 25-30, 91-96;
Aculeate Hymenoptera report, 31-33;
Bombus monticola on heather moor-
land in north-east Scotland, 73-78;
Two new species of Scuttle fly from
Malham Tarn, 113-121; Coleoptera
from lowland wetland in north
Northumberland, 121-123; Vespa

crabro nesting in Yorkshire, 145;
Notable insects at Caydale, 146;
Chamaemyia juncorum in Yorkshire,
152-153

Film Review

Lichenology

Acarospora umbilicata new to Yorkshire
and Polysporina dubia new to
England, 139-144

Mammals

Small mammals at Filey, 15-16

Natural History

Forty years on: changes in natural history
studies since 1945, 41-46

Obituary

George Edward Hyde, 67-68

Ornithology

Black Grouse in the Peak District
1975-1985, 3-8; Kestrel population of
Snowdonia, 49-54; Breeding birds of a
stretch of the River Tees 1979-1983,
79-86; Short-eared Owl, 91; Breeding
biology of Ravens in two upland
regions of North Wales, 129-137;
Swallows, 151; New Zealand decoy,
151-152

Parasitism

Helobdella stagnalis as a hyperparasite of
Hirudo medicinalis, 125-128

Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union

YNU excursions in 1985, 97-109

January — March 1987 rr^l Number 980

A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY FOR THE NORTH OF ENGLAND

Evidence for the former breeding of the Golden Eagle in
Yorkshire — Geoffrey Fryer

A review of minke whale ( Balaenoptera acutorostrata
Lacepede) in the Humber and Yorkshire waters — C. A.

Howes, M. J. Boyd and D. B. Cutts

Observations on some fungi from the Shibden Valley clay mine,
Halifax — A. Henderson and P. R. Stewart

A note on chironomid midges from the North York Moors —

D. F. Allen and D. T. Allen

Habitat relationships of millipedes from Cheshire — C. P.

Wheater and H. J. Read

Published by the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union

Editor M. R. D. Seaward, MSc. PhD, DSc, FLS, The University, Bradford

The Lepidoptera of Yorkshire

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A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY FOR THE NORTH OF ENGLAND

Editor M. R. D. Seaward, MSc, PhD, DSc, FLS, The University, Bradford

Volume 112
1987

Published by the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union

EVIDENCE FOR THE FORMER BREEDING OF THE GOLDEN EAGLE IN

YORKSHIRE

GEOFFREY FRYER

More than 60 years ago Stubbs (1923) produced evidence which suggested that in the
eighteenth century the Golden Eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos ) nested in Yorkshire at
Ravenstones in the parish of Saddleworth. This site is only about 10 miles from the
Derbyshire locality in which it certainly bred until at least 1668, when John Ray recorded
the fact, and doubtless for some time after that date. Indeed, without citing any evidence,
though perhaps on the basis of a bird caught alive there in 1720, The Handbook of British
Birds , first published in 1939, says of breeding in Derbyshire, ‘about 200 years ago’.
Chislett (1952) and Mather (1986) make almost identical references to Stubbs’s article in
their respective books on the birds of Yorkshire and are non-committal about its validity.
However, Bannerman (1956), who could only have been citing Stubbs, either directly or
via Chislett, adds ‘and apparently too in Yorkshire’ to his quotation from The Handbook
concerning former breeding areas.

Curiously neither Chislett nor Mather was apparently aware that Stubbs (1931)
subsequently produced additional information about the Ravenstones eagles, including
the name of the man who robbed the eyrie. As this information, omitted from the two
most recent standard works on the birds of Yorkshire, seems in danger of slipping into
oblivion, a brief summary is given here before reference is made to a further possible
breeding site less than five miles from Ravenstones, that, so far as I am aware, has gone
unnoticed by natural historians.

Stubbs’s first article quoted a poem by a Saddleworth man, Samuel Bottomley
(1738-95), published about 1790, which makes specific reference to eagles building on
Ravenstones, and in the lines

Bold was the man who, hanging o’er the vale.

To seize their young the dangerous cliff dared scale
intimates that the nest had, on at least one occasion, been plundered.

His second article produced more concrete evidence from newspaper cuttings preserved
in the Oldham Public Library. One of these, dated 22 August 1868, almost certainly from
the Ashton-under-Lyne Reporter , written by John Higson (d.1871), a local historian, gives
information on ‘Edmund Frier’, which like ‘Old Yed’ was a nickname for Edmund
Gartside, though Higson was apparently unaware of this fact. After describing ‘Edmund
Gartside’ ( alias Frier) as ‘an enthusiastic hunter, fisher, birdcatcher and poacher’ and
quoting reminiscences of one who remembered him, the cutting goes on to say that
perhaps his crowning feat was that recorded in Bottomley’s poem (though he is not there
named). It then states categorically that ‘formerly a pair of Eagles annually built their nest
on Ravenstones’ and goes on to describe how ‘On one occasion a party of Saddleworth
folks determined to rob the nest, and for that purpose Frier was let down from the summit
by ropes, whilst Mr Ralph Whitehead, of Grasscroft and his cousin Mr Timothy
Whitehead, stood ready with their guns to fire at the old birds in case of attack. It is said
that only one of them appeared on the scene, and that not within gunshot ... It sailed high
over the moors never again to visit the scene of the outrage. There proved to be only a
single eaglet in the nest, and this was taken to Mr Whitehead’s at Grasscroft, and kept in
the fold, with a chain attached to one of its legs. One day the manacle was removed . . .
The bird . . . rose majestically into the clouds and never returned either to Grasscroft or
Ravenstones.’

The details are very precise, individuals are named, and the report that there was only a
single eaglet in the nest accords with the most frequent situation. The statement that a pair
‘annually built their nest’ at Ravenstones also has an air of authenticity about it, is in
keeping with the habits of the species, and is made in a matter of fact way that suggests
that the writer did not find the fact particularly surprising.

Naturalist 112 (1987)

Evidence for the Former Breeding of the Golden Eagle

Stubbs ascertained that Edmund Gartside was born in 1736 and that what he believed to be
the relevant Ralph Whitehead died, aged 41, in 1755. The incident can therefore be fixed as
not later than 1755, when Gartside would be of a suitable age for the exploit. He died in 1815
aged 79 and achieved local fame as the hero of a hunting-song written after his death. Stubbs
also cites another mutilated newspaper cutting of uncertain date from one or other of two
Ashton newspapers. This, by a George Newton, bore the title ‘Reminiscences of Old Yed
Friar, or Edward Gartside’ (names were evidently treated somewhat casually at that time and
Frier, or Friar, was also spelled Freer). The writer remembered Gartside well, and recalls
how, on one occasion, he went hawk-catching with him, securing a glead (either a Kite or a
Buzzard for, while the name is generally applied to the former, it appears to have been used
for both species in the North of England) . He notes how Gartside ‘displayed great presence of
mind ... in connection with taking the eagle from Ravenstone Rock’, an incident with which
he was clearly familiar, though only, of course, at second hand. Newton was clearly much
younger than Gartside and was probably not even born when the eyrie was robbed. The
reference to the glead, whose wingspan is noted as being over four feet (suggesting a Buzzard)
provides evidence, if that were necessary, that the eagle was not being confused with a
Buzzard — then no doubt a not unfamiliar bird in the area. The nest-robbing incident is also
mentioned briefly in James Butterworth’s History of Saddleworth (1828), recording of
Ravenstones that ‘from the top of which a person descended by means of a rope, for the
purpose of taking a young eagle from its nest, in which project he succeeded’. As Stubbs
remarks he may either be using the information contained in Bottomley’s poem or availing
himself of oral tradition. However, while Butterworth would know the poem, it might be
noted that his statement is more precise . It refers to a specific instance , and reports the success
of the venture, neither of which is the case in Bottomley’s poem. That Joseph Bradbury also
reports the incident in his Saddleworth Sketches (1871) is not important as he had no new
information to impart.

Stubbs refers to the isolated nature of the region around Ravenstones. Similar
conditions long prevailed on the adjacent eastern flanks of the Pennines and it is for this
area that further fragmentary evidence for the nesting of eagles exists. While less precise
than that appertaining to the Ravenstones eyrie it is clearly more than hearsay and it is
interesting that it concerns the same general area. The information is given by Whitehead
(1942) in a book entitled Bygone Marsden, a work on local history and reminiscences
relating to the village of Marsden, whose parish boundaries are contiguous with those of
Saddleworth. The relevant passage, given on pp. 143-4, is here quoted in full.

‘On Shorter Nab [referred to also as Shooters Nab, and so named on Ordnance Survey
maps] and the neighbouring heights was to be found so recently as the early part of last
century that king of birds, the eagle. It was no uncommon thing for a stray lamb to be
carried to its rocky haunts, and there devoured.

‘I remember one of Marsden’s quaint old worthies telling of an incident that happened
in his father’s boyhood. The older man was then working on the land in the vicinity of the
Chain [i.e. beneath Shooters Nab]. Lambs were skipping about a neighbouring field,
when he suddently heard the anxious bleat of an ewe and the painful whine of a lamb. On
looking up he saw to his surprise the poor little creature in the grip of a large bird, which
apparently without any effort carried off its prey to the adjoining rocks of Shorter Nab,
there to enjoy a dainty morsel.

‘Men and boys were occasionally lowered over these rocks to plunder the nests and
destroy the young, or maybe to secure the remnants of some fleshy meal. Ultimately this
noble bird was driven from his haunts and became extinct. The last record we have of their
presence in Marsden was in the year 1851, when old Matthew Flint, of Great Clough, shot
a couple of eagles and sent them as a present to Messrs Fielding of Todmorden, who at
that time held the shooting rights of the Manor of Marsden.’

The shooting of eagles by Flint is repeated almost verbatim on p. 147 as one of a number
of miscellaneous items, with the addition of ‘Wessenden’ after Great Clough. Wessenden
is a valley, subsequently occupied by reservoirs, that cuts deep into the moorland
south-west of Marsden.

Evidence for the Former Breeding of the Golden Eagle

The writer of this passage, Lewis Buckley Whitehead, whom I met and who died in 1958
aged 89, was a well-read, intelligent man interested in literary and historical matters, but
not a naturalist. The prose style must be judged in the context for which it was intended
and not as a scientific statement. Nevertheless several interesting facts can be accepted
and deduced.

First, there is no reason to doubt the authenticity of the lamb-taking incident which is
the kind of event that would be remembered and doubtless retold by the one who
witnessed it. Indeed his son recalled it many years later though he was not even born when
it happened. As Whitehead was born in 1869, and may well have heard the story from his
‘quaint old worthy’ at the turn of the century when the latter was 70 or more years old, the
incident witnessed by the ‘old worthy’s father in his boyhood must have occurred early in
the nineteenth century. Whether the bird in question was a Golden Eagle or a
White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla) cannot be ascertained. While the latter is perhaps
the more frequent lamb-taker the former is the more likely species to have frequented the
region. Both species have been recorded within a few miles of the area more recently than
the time of the incident (see Mather (1986) for most of the known reports).

Indeed Whitehead’s account makes the categorical statement that old Matthew Flint
shot ‘a couple’ of eagles in the Marsden area in 1851. This information was clearly passed
on to him by Flint himself for in the Introduction to the book Matthew Flint, Great
Clough, is listed as one of the notables among ‘the many old Marsden men’ interviewed,
and from whom aid was received. The date is precise, the recipients of the carcases are
named, and the shooter would surely be aware of the identity of birds sent to the holders
of the local shooting rights. The implication is that these birds were mounted, and some
years ago I attempted to trace them, but without success. Perhaps they still exist. Again
specific identity is not stated but Golden Eagles are presumably implied. That two birds
were involved is particularly noteworthy and implies a pair. Whitehead indeed probably
meant a pair by the term ‘a couple’.

Which brings us to the statement that eagles nested on Shooters Nab and that the nests
were occasionally plundered. There is nothing to substantiate the statement and nothing
to indicate from whom Whitehead obtained his information, but he recorded in good faith
what must have been passed on by one or more of his informants. Taken in conjunction
with the lamb-taking incident, the presence of eagles in the area as recently as 1851, the
proximity of a probable eyrie at Ravenstones just over four miles distant and of the
Derbyshire eyrie less than 15 miles away, and bearing in mind the nature of the terrain and
the suitability of Shooters Nab as a breeding site (see below), some credence must be
given to the statement. The occurrence of a Golden Eagle in the same area in 1982 is a
mere coincidence in this context.

The lamb-taking incident is relevant here. There is no suggestion that the man who
witnessed this had personal knowledge of an eyrie or of its plundering. He may, however,
have remembered stories, which would certainly be recalled as he recounted his
experience, of events that took place much earlier, and he and others may well have
passed these on, just as he passed on his own experience with an eagle - — an experience
that found its way into Whitehead’s record well over a century later. If the incident
occurred around 1815, when the observer was 15 years old, a man of 80 could have told
him of events witnessed 60 years earlier (i.e. back to at least 1755) and, if he were to recall
events recounted at that time by a man of 80, that occurred 60 years earlier, we are back to
1695 or somewhat earlier. This is approaching, or perhaps within, the period that eagles
certainly bred in Derbyshire and well within the period that they appear to have done so at
Ravenstones. To put the time scale into perspective, it is 136 years since Matthew Flint
shot his eagles, yet I met a man to whom he personally reported the fact, and could have
done so less than 30 years ago. Thus, while the story cannot be proved, there is an a priori
case for giving credence to it.

The nature and location of the terrain are relevant here. Shooters Nab is less than 15
miles from the Derbyshire locality in the Woodlands Valley where the Golden Eagle is
known to have nested, and separated from it even today by essentially uninhabited

Evidence for the Former Breeding of the Golden Eagle

moorland, as it is from Ravenstones just over four miles to the south-west. Ravenstones is
about 10 miles from the known Derbyshire eyrie. Thus the only three English localities for
which information on the former breeding of eagles exists outside the Lake District and
the Cheviots lie within less than 15 miles of each other. This seems more than
coincidental. There is also the possibility that Shooters Nab served as an occasional
alternative site for the Ravenstones eagles.

The terrain within and around this area is suitable eagle habitat and there is more open
moorland, with occasional wooded doughs, north of Shooters Nab. As at Ravenstones
there is at Shooters Nab a long, rocky cliff, at an altitude of about 1400 ft, which continues
to Deer Hill (a name suggestive of a mammal now extinct in the area), which would
appear to provide suitable nesting sites. Eagles do not always demand large precipitous
crags for their nests. Indeed these are probably the most suitable potential nesting crags in
the area though their original state cannot now be ascertained as they have been quarried
to provide stone for reservoir construction. Immediately behind the rocks the land rises to
1641 ft at the summit of West Nab, and to greater altitudes a little further south.

The present Chain Road, which passes within some three-quarters of a mile of the rocks
of Shooters Nab, is still the nearest road. It follows the course of an older road, but
disturbance from this would be slight as it lies several hundred feet lower than the rocks
and possibly saw no wheeled traffic until after implementation of the Turnpike Act of
1758. Its condition at this time was bad as is noted in the preamble of the Act, which is
quoted by Crump (1949). The remarks are not specific to one place and could have applied
to any part of the road between Wakefield and the Lancashire boundary but the state of
the roads near Marsden can be judged from the tradition that the pews for Marsden
Chapel, rebuilt 1758-9, came from Saddleworth in a waggon that could not get into the
village for want of a cart road and that people gathered, not just to carry the pews, but to
see the conveyance, no cart or waggon having previously been seen there. Indeed as
Kendall and Wroot (1924) point out when illustrating the influence of geology on history,
access to many now important West Riding towns was almost impracticable for wheeled
vehicles until well into the eighteenth century. The then isolated nature of Shooters Nab is
also put into perspective by remembering that the population of Marsden in 1750 was only
about 700. Stubbs (1923) noted the proximity of a pack-horse road to the Derbyshire site
when the Golden Eagle nested there and that there were many houses in sight.

Thus, although not proven beyond all doubt, it is virtually certain that in the eighteenth
century the Golden Eagle nested in Yorkshire at Ravenstones and possibly did so also at
Shooters Nab in the same area. This is not entirely surprising. In England it bred in the
Lake District until towards the end of the eighteenth century, and of course has
persistently done so again in recent years. In the Cheviots it bred until well into the
nineteenth century, and it did so in close proximity to the probable Yorkshire sites in the
seventeenth and possibly eighteenth centuries.

That breeding in Yorkshire was not recorded by naturalists is not entirely surprising.
There was not much documentation of such events at the time, and certainly not in the
isolated and then sparsely populated region involved. By the time the first local lists
appeared such events were more likely to be known by historians than by naturalists.
Matthew Flint’s eagles, shot in 1851, are not recorded in county or local avifaunas so it is
not surprising that information relating to events of a century or so earlier has gone
unnoticed in such works. The scant knowledge of the avifauna of the Pennine uplands in
the area in question more than a century ago can be gauged from the notes in the second
edition of Hobkirk’s Huddersfield: its History and Natural History (1868). References are
almost entirely to the area east of the town and upland birds were clearly poorly known.
For example, of the Merlin ( Falco columbarius) , a moorland species par excellence that
certainly bred within the area, the only records are three occurrences in the lowlands east
of the town, while the Golden Plover ( Pluvialis apricaria ) was only ‘Noticed at
Almondbury and Fixby’ whereas its true home is on the moorlands which it doubtless
frequented as it does today. As time passed ornithologists would be less and less likely to
be aware of the former breeding of a bird long extinct in the area. It is possible, however,

Book Reviews 7

that additional documentary evidence exists in local histories, churchwardens’ accounts or
elsewhere. If unearthed, any such evidence should be made known.

References other than those sufficiently documented in the text
Bannerman, D. A. (1956) The Birds of the British Isles , Vol. 5. Oliver & Boyd,
Edinburgh.

Chislett, R. (1952) Yorkshire Birds. A. Brown & Sons, Hull.

Crump, W. B. (1949) Huddersfield Highways Down the Ages. Tolson Memorial Museum,
Huddersfield.

Hobkirk, C. P. (1868) Huddersfield: its History and Natural History. A descriptive,
historical, geological, botanical and zoological sketch of the town and neighbourhood.
2nd. ed. Tyndall, Huddersfield, and Simpkin Marshall, London.

Kendall, P. F. and Wroot, H. E. (1924) The Geology of Yorkshire. Privately published.
Mather, J. R. (1986) The Birds of Yorkshire. Croom Helm, London.

Stubbs, F. J. (1923) Eagles formerly nesting in Yorkshire. Naturalist 48: 359-363.
Stubbs, F. J. (1931) Former nesting of the eagle in Yorkshire. Naturalist 56: 135-137.
Whitehead, L. B. (1942) Bygone Marsden. Percy Brothers, Manchester.

BOOK REVIEWS

A Field Guide to the Dragonflies of Britain, Europe and North Africa by Jacques d’Aguilar,
Jean-Louis Dommanget and Rene Prechac. English edition revised and translated by
Stephen Brooks (Consultant), Nicola Brooks and T. S. Robertson. Pp. 336, with 130 maps
and numerous text figures, and 27 colour plates. Collins. 1986. £14.95.

Here at last is a book in English that we can take into Europe and use to identify the
dragonflies that we see or, more accurately, catch. Its title may imply that it can be used,
as can its earlier companion volume on birds, to identify the living dragonfly at large in the
field. This is possible with the larger distinctive species, but many closely-related pairs or
groups will require the much more critical examination and careful comparison with the
text that can only be made with the insect in the hand.

The book falls into several distinct sections, those concerned with identification being
the detailed key to genera, the colour illustrations, the detailed description of species and
the distribution maps. The key is clear and abundantly illustrated by line drawings. The
life-size colour illustrations, with some enlargements of parts of the insect in critical cases,
convey an adequate impression but would have been better at twice the size although this
would affect the layout of the work and increase its size. Not all the species are illustrated
and it is essential to consult the detailed description of all the species in a genus after
making a tentative identification from the plates. The descriptions include notes on
habitat, behaviour and distribution. The sensible person will ignore the coined English
names, Keeled Skimmer, Scarce Chaser, etc. The distribution maps convey a general
impression of the boundaries of each species but tend to indicate a more extensive range
than is actually the case; note Lestes dryas in England.

Introductory text on structure, life history, habitats and behaviour will be helpful to the
beginner, but the book’s main purpose is identification, and this it achieves. It is the most
convenient book to take into the field in England since Cynthia Longfield’s volume in the
Wayside and Woodland series. Some small criticisms can be made: it is a pity that
distribution maps only have numbers and not names, and the colour plates of habitats,
with explanatory legend on opposing pages are most curiously and irritatingly aligned.
However, such criticisms are quite outweighed by the considerable merits of this most
useful and welcome volume, which is good value for money.

JHF

Book Reviews

Collins’ Guide to the Insects of Britain and Western Europe by Michael Chinery. Pp. 320,
with numerous coloured illustrations and line drawings. Domino Books. Collins. 1986.
£6.95.

This beautifully and profusely illustrated new book will inevitably be purchased by most
field naturalists and others possessing a passing interest in insects, especially those who
regularly holiday in southern Europe. The plates alone render the book a delight and
should assist in the identification of some of the more unusual insects met with in southern
climes. The artwork is the work of a team of our most notable entomological
draughtsmen, including Denys Ovenden, Steven Falk and Richard Levington, who, along
with their colleagues are to be complemented on their superb handiwork. Surprisingly one
has to turn to the final paragraph of the last page to learn who has helped with the
graphics in the book.

Anyone purchasing this book who assumes that it effectively replaces and improves
upon the author’s previous work in this series, A Field Guide to the Insects of Britain and
Northern Europe , will be disappointed. That work, despite its title, included southern
Europe species like the mantis Iris oratoria, but the present work shows many more
southerners. Textually the new book falls far short of the earlier one in many respects,
notably in the absence of keys to families, lists of essential references, authors’ names for
species mentioned and in the far less logical ordering of the taxa. Thus the family
Syrphidae has an 8 line description whilst there is no family heading for the next 4 families
until Tephritidae is reached. This curious system is used throughout the book but there is
no means whereby the user can ascertain the family of an insect he may wish to identify.

The new book then is clearly not intended to be a revision of the earlier one, but neither
can it be regarded convincingly as a companion volume since the majority of species
discussed appear to be present in both books. Comparison of the two works testifies to the
almost ephemeral nature of some scientific names and this will lead to some confusion
amongst the uninitiated. Thus Eumenes unguiculata in the first book appears as Delta
unguiculata in the second. The author of the books cannot of course be held responsible
for these name changes but where they occur the name used in the earlier book could
usefully have been inserted. A very confusing notation for status/distribution has been
used in that in the earlier work a solid black triangle indicated a non-British species,
whereas in the new one it indicates a species found throughout the British Isles. However,
the system falls down in places, for the author would have us believe that Carabus auratus
and the three British Cardinal beetles are all to be found throughout our islands! A
number of additional errors have been noted. For instance the larva on p. 294 entitled
‘Snipe fly’, and referred to on p. 198 under Rhagio scolopacea is actually the very different
larva of Xylophagus which lives under loose bark of trees. Anthomyia pluvialis is entered
twice consecutively on p. 216, the second time wrongly spelt. The next species discussed,
the Cabbage Root fly, is given the wrong specific name; it should read Delia brassicae.
The figure appears to be of this species, not Paregle radicum (L.). P. radicum is an
eury topic species.

Dimensions would have been best indicated by linear scales. On the pages showing
insect larvae (pp. 294-7), the footnotes ‘mostly somewhat enlarged’ are misleading as
most are at least twice natural size.

Despite the critical tone of this review, this book gives a very good broad picture of the
range of insect forms found within the geographical area covered and the illustrations are
a sheer delight in themselves. Providing the limitations in the utility of the book in terms
of critical identification work are recognized, this attractive volume deserves a place on
the shelves of all naturalists desirous of broadening their horizons. It is highly likely that
more people will become fascinated by insects for their sheer beauty alone and that
further conservation of their habitats will result to the benefit of all.

The new book should occupy a place next to the author’s splendid earlier work, not in
place of it. The text is better in the earlier book but the plates are generally far superior in
the new one.

A REVIEW OF MINKE WHALE ( BALAENOPTERA ACUTOROSTRATA
LACEPEDE) IN THE HUMBER AND YORKSHIRE WATERS

C. A. HOWES,1 M. J. BOYD2 and D. B. CUTTS3

1 Museum and Art Gallery, Chequer Road, Doncaster DN1 2AE

2 Town Docks Museum, Queen Victoria Square, Hull HU1 3DX

3 81 Beverley Road, South Cave, Brough HU15 2BB

Introduction

The minke, pike or as it has traditionally been referred to in the Yorkshire literature, the
lesser rorqual whale, occurs throughout the world’s oceans.

In the North Atlantic there appear to be distinct western and eastern populations. For
both groups breeding takes place in Equatorial waters during the winter months, mostly
between October and March, the whales having paired some 10 months earlier (Evans
1980). In spring the family groups move into high latitudes, the eastern population
heading for the main summer feeding grounds off the Norwegian coast.

Important food sources are krill, sand eels ( Ammodytes sp.) and caplin (Mallotus
villosus). Herring ( Clupea harengus ), cod ( Gadus callarias) and mackerel ( Scomber
scombrus) are also taken (Evans 1980).

During late summer some individuals move down into the northern and central North
Sea, possibly attracted by herring which congregate in this area during August to spawn.

The return migration, which takes place in autumn, follows the same route, animals
normally avoiding passing south via the North Sea and English Channel. Scarcity of
sightings and strandings off the western shores of the British Isles suggest that both
northerly and southerly passages take place some distance west of British waters.

The only hunting around Britain is by the Norwegian whaling industry operating around
the Faroes and Shetlands and into the northern North Sea, where catches have been
declining since 1969 (Evans 1980).

Field Notes

1. On 13 July 1982, a 26 ft (7.9 m) adult male minke whale was found stranded on the
Holderness coast between Hilston and Tunstall (TA/302333).

Preliminary details and a fragment of baleen were sent to the British Museum (Nat.
Hist.) by Mr T. S. Smith of the coastguard service. An illustrated account appeared in
the Hull Daily Mail , 14 July 1982, and other reports followed on 15 and 16 July. Much
of the specimen’s skin had sloughed off, suggesting that the animal had been dead and
decomposing for some time, and part of its jaw was broken.

The Holderness Borough Council, whose responsibility it is to deal with such
strandings, attempted to dispose of the carcase by burning it in situ , but on 15 July
1982, before the process could be completed, M.J.B., together with A. C. Credland,
D. Northmore and S. Moran, after a prolonged and thoroughly noxious exercise,
salvaged the partly charred skull, two ribs, the atlas and two other vertebrae for the
Hull Museum collection (Moran 1982).

2. On 29 April 1985 the carcase of a cetacean with throat grooves, identified as a
Balaenoptera sp., was found stranded in the lower reaches of the tidal Trent at
Burton-on-Stather (SE/8618) (M. C. Sheldrick, pers. comm.).

The specimen evidently drifted back into the Humber and on the high tide of 6 May
entered the lower reaches of the tidal Ouse, stranding apparently for one tide only on
the mud spit at Goole Fields (SE/7521) ( Goole Times 9 May 1985).

The 17 ft (5.1 m) long carcase was finally beached well up on the saltings at
Broomfleet Island (SE/887263) by a very high tide on 7 or 8 May, where it was initially
examined by Mr P. Beriff of the coastguard service ( Hull Daily Mail, 5 June 1985). On
17 May the carcase, sufficiently decomposed to have lost its baleen plates and a
considerable amount of skin, was photographed by D.B.C. and its identity and

Naturalist 112 (1987)

A Review of Minke Whale

16
11
20

8 R

4
*

S g 6 q 8

FIGURE 1

Localities of strandings (•) Temporary strandings (o)
Sightings (s) and skeletal material (+) in Yorkshire waters

A Review of Minke Whale 1 1

measurement confirmed by M.J.B. On 29 September M.J.B. collected the skull, right
humerus and one vertebra for the Hull Museum collection.

During the winter months almost all the flesh disintegrated and on 10 March 1986 the
remains of the skeleton, missing only a few vertebrae and intervertebral discs, were
removed by C.A.H. to Doncaster Museum. As with the Hilston specimen, one of the
mandibles was found to be broken at the distal end.

The skeleton was exhibited at the 1986 Mammal Society conference where, due to its
lack of epiphyseal fusion, it was judged to be that of a very young specimen.

Interestingly, other ‘lesser rorquals’ have been stranded in the Humber catchment.
One found in the Victoria Dock, Hull, 9 September 1869, was skeletonized and placed
in Hull Museum (Clarke and Roebuck 1881), one was in the Humber in 1873 (Smith
1905), one stranded in January 1902 on the mud at Swinefleet (Bunker 1905), one was
killed on the sand banks on the Humber side of Spurn peninsula, 15 August 1905
(Audas 1905) and on 17 September 1938 one was killed in the Trent at Gainsborough
(Gallwey 1939).

5 “
4 “

Stranding .
Skeletal material.
Sighting .

• • # AO

2 mmmom too#

1 •••o ••••••

18501 19001 10 1 20 1 30 1 40 1 50' ' 60 1 70 1 1980 '
-99 -86

FIGURE 2

Frequency of records 1850-1986 in Yorkshire waters

Analysis of Yorkshire Records

The following analysis is based on data reviewed in Spalding (1966) and Delany (1985)
with additional records from Clegg (1967), Massey (1977, 1979) and this study.

The minke whale is easily the most frequently recorded baleen whale in the North Sea,
with strandings on the English coastline occurring as far south as Norfolk and into the
English Channel as far as Plymouth (Evans 1980).

In Yorkshire waters there are records of one off-shore sighting, 18 strandings and on
five occasions skeletal material has been washed ashore or trawled from the sea bed.
Localities are shown in Fig. 1 and details of records tabulated in Appendix 1.

Fig. 2 and Appendix 1 show that recorded occurrences have remained reasonably
constant since the mid nineteenth century. Fig. 3, based on size data of stranded

A Review of Minke Whale

% = Male.

0 = Female .

| | = Sex not recorded .

• o □□ □ □ □ □

I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I — I

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Length (metres)

FIGURE 3

Size range of specimens stranded in Yorkshire waters

specimens, shows that there have been five immatures or sub-adults ranging from 12 (3.6
m) to 20 ft (6 m) and six adults from 26 (7.9 m) to 33 ft (10 m) in length. Although
strandings have occurred throughout the year, Fig. 4 shows that most take place in
autumn, particularly September. Massey (1972) attributes this seasonality to specimens
going astray during their southerly autumn migration, though Evans (1980) suggests that
some strandings may be the results of casualties and the separation of family groups due to
the activities of the Norwegian whaling industry in the northern North Sea.

The winter and spring examples may provide evidence of animals remaining in northern
latitudes throughout the year.

Adult .
Immature.

Age not known .

FIGURE 4

Seasonality of strandings and sightings in Yorkshire waters

A Review of Minke Whale

Acknowledgements

Thanks are due to M. C. Sheldrick of the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) for clarification of
recent records, to Miss A. Gowland, Messrs M. Limbert and J. Porter for locating press
reports and Doncaster Museums and Arts Service for clerical support and access to
literature.

References

Audas, R. S. (1905) A whale-hunt in Yorkshire. Naturalist 30: 333-334.

Bunker, T. (1905) Notes on the occurrence of the beluga or white whale in the Ouse.
Naturalist 30: 167-168.

Clegg, T. M. (1967) YNU Mammal Report for 1966. Naturalist 92: 10-14.

Clarke, W. E. and Roebuck, W. D. (1881) A Handbook of the Vertebrate Fauna of
Yorkshire. Lovell Reeve, London.

Delany, M. J. (1985) Yorkshire Mammals. University of Bradford, Bradford.

Evans, P. G. H. (1980) Cetaceans in British waters. Mammal Review 10: 1-52.

Gallwey, E. (1939) YNU Mammal Report for 1938. Naturalist 64: 6-10.

Massey, C. I. (1972) Lesser rorqual stranded at Saltwick Bay. Naturalist 97: 54.

Massey, C. I. (1977) Mammals in Scarborough Field Naturalists’ Society Annual Report
for 1977 : 51-54.

Massey, C. I. (1979) Mammals in Scarborough Field Naturalists’ Society Annual Report
for 1979: 1-5.

Moran, S. (1982) Report on the recovery of a whale skull from Hilston/Tunstall, July
1982. Unpublished report dated 17 July 1982 in Hull Town Docks Museum.

Smith, A. (1905) Lincolnshire Mammals. Naturalist 30: 45-49.

Spalding, D. A. E. (1966) Whales in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. Naturalist 91: 87-95.

Appendix 1

Chronological list of Balaenoptera acutorostrata in Yorkshire waters

(Numbers refer to localities indicated in Fig. 1)

1. Spring 1859

2. 9.9.1869

3. 1873

4. -.1.1902

5. 15.8.1905

6. -.11.1907

7. 6.9.1913

8. 21.10.1915

9. Early 1923

10. -.10.1923

11. 12.5.1936

12. 17.9.1938

13. 22.3.1939

14. 2.9.1945

15. 15.8.1953

16. 20.6.1957

17. Late 1960

18. 1962

Sewerby (TA/2068) 16-17 ft specimen stranded (Spalding 1966).
Victoria Dock, Hull (TA/1228) (Spalding 1966).

Humber (Spalding 1966).

River Ouse near Swinefleet (SE/7621). Specimen stranded
(Spalding 1966).

Spurn (TA/4014). 20 ft specimen stranded on Humber mud
(Spalding 1966).

Scalby Ness (TA/0391). 30 ft female carrying foetus stranded
(Spalding 1966).

Tunstall (TA/3132). 27 ft specimen stranded (Spalding 1966).
Ulrome (TA/1757). 33 ft specimen stranded (Spalding 1966).
Yorkshire coast. Skull dredged from sea bed (Spalding 1966).

50 miles off Scarborough. Baleen plate trawled from sea bed
(Spalding 1966).

Saltwick (NZ/9111). 28 ft specimen stranded (Spalding 1966).
Gainsborough (SK/8090). 15 ft 9 in specimen ascended the
Humber and was killed in the Trent (Spalding 1966).
Flamborough (TA/2570). 12 ft male became stranded for six hours
(Spalding 1966).

Withernsea (TA/3328). 30 ft specimen stranded (Spalding 1966).
Spurn (TA/4112). Specimen stranded (Delany 1985).

Runswick Bay (NZ/8115). Specimen stranded (Delany 1985).
North of Kilnsea (T A/41 17). Specimen stranded (Spalding 1966).
10 miles off Flamborough. Skull trawled from sea bed (Spalding
1966).

Book Review

19.

18.9.1966

20.

19.9.1971

21.

3.3.1977

22.

14.1.1979

23.

13.7.1982

24.

29.4.1985

9 miles off Scarborough. Specimen seen from boat (Clegg 1967).
Black Nab, Saltwick Bay (NZ/9110). 14 ft 9 in female stranded
(Massey 1972).

Hayburn Wyke (TA/0197). Eight vertebrae washed ashore
(Massey 1977).

South Bay, Scarborough (TA/0487). Part of skull washed ashore
(Massey 1979).

Hilston (TA/3033). 26 ft specimen stranded (this study).
Broomfleet Island (SE/8826). 17 ft specimen stranded after
temporarily stranding in the Trent at Burton-on-Stather (SE/8618)
and the Ouse at Goole Fields (SE/7521) (this study).

BOOK REVIEW

The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland. Volume 1, Micropterigidae to
Heliozelidae, edited by John Heath. Pp. 344, with 9 monochrome and 4 colour plates, and
85 text figures. Volume 9, Sphingidae to Noctuidae (Noctuinae and Hadeninae). Pp. 320
with 16 colour plates and 19 text figures; Volume 10, Noctuidae (Cucullinae to
Hypeninae) and Agaristidae, edited by John Heath and A. Maitland Emmet. Pp. 460 with
13 colour plates and 19 text figures. Harley Books, Colchester, Essex. £24.95 per volume.

The above three volumes in the continuing series eventually intended to cover the
whole of the British lepidoptera have now been produced in a ‘paperback’ edition with
laminated covers. Originally produced only in a hardback edition (Volume 1 in 1976 by
Blackwell Scientific Publications and Curwen Press, Volume 9 in 1979 by Curwen Books
and Volume 10 in 1983 by the present publisher), the series, originally due for completion
in 1982, has fallen considerably behind schedule; inflationary trends meanwhile have
resulted in a considerable price rise for each new volume, the latest (Volume 2), not
available in paperback, being £47.50. These paperback editions all appear under the
banner of the present publisher of the series, Harley Books, and except for a
supplementary ‘Preface to Paperback Edition’ on page 10 of Volume 1 are identical with
the original editions.

Volume 1 begins with introductory chapters on morphology, parasites, diseases of
lepidoptera, pest species, habitats and conservation, study techniques and a bibliography
of county faunal lists and other publications useful for the study of British lepidoptera.
These prepare the ground for the systematic part of the volume which deals with the
primitive Micropterigidae, the Eriocraniidae, Hepialidae, Nepticulidae, Opostegidae,
Tischeriidae, Incurvariidae and Heliozelidae. The treatment of the species is comprehen-
sive, Emmet’s handling of Nepticulidae being outstanding, and includes keys to species
and where appropriate the larval mines, descriptions of the moths, details of every stage of
the life-histories where known and distribution. For the ‘macrolepidoptera’ dot distri-
bution maps show presence on a 10 km square basis while those for the smaller species are
shown by vice-county.

Volumes 9 and 10 cover the families Sphingidae, Notodontidae, Lymantriidae,
Arctiidae, Nolidae, Noctuidae and Agaristidae. These volumes have previously been
reviewed in this journal, Volume 9 in 1980 ( Naturalist 105:56) and Volume 10 in 1984 ( ibid
109:121). The colour plates in all three volumes are reproduced from paintings by Brian
Hargreaves; these are generally less than satisfactory and compare unfavourably with the
photographic reproductions in Goater’s British Pyralid Moths by the same publisher.

This series will undeniably remain the standard work on the British lepidoptera for a
very long time. The appearance of these three volumes in paperback at a saving of around
40 per cent of the cost of the hardback editions is very welcome, particularly to the
amateur field lepidopterist.

HEB

OBSERVATIONS ON SOME FUNGI FROM THE SHIBDEN VALLEY CLAY

MINE, HALIFAX

A. HENDERSON

Department of Plant Sciences, University of Leeds
and

P. R. STEWART
Bankfield Museum, Halifax

Introduction

During a visit on 18 January 1983 to Springfield No. 2 clay mine in the Shibden Valley,
Halifax, several fungi were collected during an inspection of a number of underground
tunnels (Fig. 1).

Extraction of clay at Springfield No. 2 mine on the south-western slope of the Valley
began in September 1969. Its predecessor, Springfield No. 1, on the facing slope, operated
from 1948 to 1971, the first mine in the Valley devoted entirely to obtaining clay. Once
‘roadways’ or ‘gates’ into the mine have been dug, work proceeds by propping up the
strata above the clay (i.e. ganister, a hard, highly siliceous stone layer, and the Halifax
Hard Bed coal immediately above (see Wray et al. 1930)) with posts or beams, mainly of
British or Scandinavian pine. When work in a tunnel is completed, the props are removed
and the roof in that section allowed to collapse. Tunnel height varies from 4'6" to 3'.

FIGURE 1

Plan of underground tunnels, Springfield No. 2 clay mine,
indicating route followed for the investigation of fungi

Ventilation through the mine is by the main ‘roadway’ leading from the entrance, and the
temperature within the mine throughout the year is 18(±2) C. Light reaches the inner
parts of the mine only from miners’ helmet lamps. Gas accumulation has never been a
problem at Springfield No. 2. Many stretches of the mine are dripping or damp with
seepage water, and ganister and other stone, wooden props and beams and metal rail-lines
are much coated with wet clay, which along with the waterproof suiting and rubber gloves
recommended for the visitor makes botanical collecting difficult.

Naturalist 112 (1987)

Fungi from the Shibden Valley Clay Mine
Notes on the Fungi Collected

The first fungus seen, towards the top of an upright pine prop quite near the mine
entrance, was the bracket, Daedalea quercina, common on worked wood in buildings and
mines. Specimens of other fungi found growing on or in close association with posts or
beams deeper within the mine and sometimes hanging in thick weblike festoons in
abandoned or little-used side tunnels, were despatched to the Commonwealth Mycologi-
cal Institute, Kew, on the day of collection, and proved with one exception to be
hyphomycetes.

Staff at CMI commented (Report No. H140/83/YE1 in litt. 21.4.1983) as follows on
the four collections sent:

Specimens nos. 3 and 4, Herbarium IMI nos. 275190b and 275191b
Mariannaea camptospora Samson
Specimen no. 4, Herbarium IMI no. 275191a
Oidiodendron tenuissimum (Peck) S. Hughes

By the time the specimen reached CMI the wood was already infested with
nematodes, but the Oidiodendron could be readily seen as small dark pins with
hyaline heads of spores in chains. This is a common saprophyte on rotten wood.
Attempts to culture it were unsuccessful as the other species present ( Mariannaea
camptospora) outgrew the Oidiodendron on each attempt. The original specimen,
by now in poor condition, was discarded but slides have been deposited in
Herbarium IMI.

Specimen no. 2, Herbarium IMI no. 275189

(a) Acremonium strictum W. Gams, a common and widespread saprophyte.
Discarded.

(b) Sesquicillium sp. It was not possible to identify this isolate to species level
without further study and as the culture was suffering from the depredations of the
mites which also came in on the specimen the wisest course was to discard it at this
stage!

Specimen no. 1, Herbarium IMI no. 275188

There is little doubt that these structures are rhizomorphs of a basidiomycete, but
the species is impossible to determine accurately. Dimensions of the hyphae are
similar to those of rhizomorphs of Armillaria mellea (Vahl: Fr.) Kummer, but A.
mellea normally shows a much sharper distinction between hyaline inner hyphae
and strongly pigmented sheathing hyphae than does this specimen. Attempts to
isolate from the material and to induce further development by incubating it in a
damp chamber have failed.

Specimen no. 3, Herbarium IMI no. 275190a

Dactylaria lanosa Malla & W. Gams, an uncommon hyphomycete known from
pine forest soils. Unfortunately this specimen was so overgrown by the Mariannaea
that it was impossible to isolate it.

Further to the comment above identifying specimen no. 1 as rhizomorphs of a
basidiomycete, it is interesting to note the record by W. G. Bramley (1985, p. 78) of a
rhizomorphic anamorph of Armillaria , ‘230 m in from the entrance of an old and long
disused ironstone mine’.

Conclusion

Much of the point of these records derives from the particularity of the habitat. Springfield
No. 2 is the only working mine left in Calderdale and is run on almost the same lines as its
nineteenth-century precursors in the West Riding. Most modern mines are, in contrast,
well lit, mechanically ventilated and constructed using metal rather than wooden props, so
that the range of habitats presented by Springfield will probably not exist within the space
of another generation.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the Commonwealth Mycological Institute for permission to quote from

A Note on Chironomid Midges
their report on our finds, to the owner of Springfield, Mr Henry Parkinson, for access to
the mine, to Mr Raymond Shaw and the mining staff for their most helpful provision of
facilities and information, and to Mr S. Davidson for preparing the figure.

References

Bramley, W. G. (1985) A Fungus Flora of Yorkshire 1985. Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union,
Leeds.

Wray, D. H., Stephens, J. B., Edwards, W. N. and Bromehead, C. E. N. (1930) The
Geology of the Country around Huddersfield and Halifax. Memoirs Geological Survey,
HMSO, London.

A NOTE ON CHIRONOMID MIDGES FROM THE NORTH YORK MOORS

D. F. ALLEN and D. T. ALLEN
‘ Moorfield’ , Appleton-le-moors, York Y06 6TE

Despite being one of the larger dipterous families, the Chironomidae (non-biting midges)
is also one of the most under-recorded. Similarly, little is known about their life-cycles or
ecology. The following account lists several species encountered by the authors while
engaged in fieldwork since 1983. Comments on the ecology and behaviour of some species
are also included.

Bryophaenocladius vernalis Goetghebuer is a small blackish species the hypopygium of
which has a narrow gonocoxite with a prominent lobe. We collected two mated pairs close
to a road drainage ditch on 13 February 1983 on Appleton Common, near Pickering
(SE7387). Unlike most other chironomid species B. vernalis appears not to resort to
swarming as a prerequisite to mating, as both pairs were seen to couple on the surface of
snow! On subsequent occasions however, large mating swarms of this species have in fact
been observed; see McLachlan and Alien (1987) for further explanation of this
phenomenon.

Cranston (1982) mentions that no Bryophaenocladius larvae have been found in aquatic
ecosystems in Britain. Larvae of B. vernalis however have been found in drainage water
and possess posterior parapods typical of other aquatic species. This species has previously
only been recorded twice in Yorkshire, at Crag Wood and Pen-y-ghent both in VC64,
hence this present report represents a new record for VC62.

On 29 August 1983 we collected 29 mated pairs of Procladius crassinervis Zetterstedt.
This is a medium-sized, brown fly with a very pronounced scutum. P. crassinervis belongs
to the sub-family Tanypodinae, the larvae of which are all predaceous.

On 7 June 1984 several specimens of the orthoclad midge, Bryophaenocladius
nitidicollis Goetghebuer were collected from a denuded peat moor near Glaisdale
(NZ7301). This very small midge is quite rare and has only been recorded twice in Britain
before. Both records were made over 50 years ago by the renowned entomologist F. W.
Edwards. The second record was made in 1930 at Pen-y-ghent, so this present report
represents only the second record of this midge in Yorkshire and the first for VC62.
Unlike its cogenor, B. nitidicollis is a terrestrial species, the larvae living in moist peat
before eclosing in May/June to mate on the wing during the brief lulls which occur in
between successive gusts of wind. Pupal exuviae and adult flies have been obtained from
samples of peat containing larvae. However, attempts at getting adults to mate and
oviposit have been unsuccessful.

A species found in association with B. nitidicollis on 2 June 1985 was Smittia edwardsi
Goetghebuer. It is distinguished from other Smittia species by the obtuse anal lobe on its

Naturalist 112 (1987)

18 Book Review

wing. One other record of this species exists from the Doncaster area, therefore this too is
a new record for VC62.

On 4 July 1984 several examples of Smittia aterrima Meigen and Chironomus luridus
Strenzke were collected from gardens in Appleton-le-moors, Pickering (SE7387). The
former were swarming over a privet hedge while the latter were swarming over a rain-butt
(from which associated larvae were also collected). Although both species are thought to
be widespread in Yorkshire, with records from VC61 and VC63, no records exist for
VC62.

Whilst sampling substrate from a pond on Appleton Common on 16 August 1984 we
collected two females and one male of the large midge species, Camptochironomus tentans
Fab. This fly has a brown/green abdomen and yellowish thorax with black scutal stripes.
In many texts, such as Coe (1950), Chironomus plumosus L. is cited as being the largest
chironomid species, however, one of the Camptochironomus tentans females collected
measured 11 mm from its head to the tip of its abdomen — a sizeable beast! Another
female was found to be infested with the nemertine worm Mermis\ the resulting
morphological aberrations included unusually smaller cerci.

During an evening’s sampling excursion on 29 May 1985 we collected six males of the
ghostly-looking species, Conchapelopia melanops Meigen. This is a very pale, almost
white tanypod midge. It was swarming at a height of about 2 m, just above a swarm of B.
vernalis on Appleton Common. Previous records exist from the Leeds and Ilkley area but
once again there are no known records for VC62.

We are grateful to P. Skidmore for providing information on chironomid records and
Dr P. Langton for assistance with the identification of certain species.

References

Coe, R. L. (1950) Family Chironomidae. Handbk. Ident. Br. Insects, 9: 121-206.
Cranston, P. S. (1982) A key to the larvae of the British Orthocladiinae (Chironomidae).

Scientific Publication of the Freshwater Biological Association No. 45, Ambleside.
McLachlan, A. J. and Allen, D. F. (1987) Male mating success in Diptera: advantages of
small size. Oikos 48:11-14.

BOOK REVIEW

The Rivers of Britain by Richard and Nina Muir. Pp. 223, with numerous colour and black
and white illustrations. Webb and Bower (Michael Joseph). 1986. £14.95.

Apart from the imprint of two publishing firms this book also carries the insignia of The
National Trust. Add to these the names of the co-authors Richard and Nina Muir and you
can be sure of a very good book.

The book caters for the widest possible range of river users and/or countryside
sympathizers, and anybody who has anything to do with rivers on a regular basis should
read it. As one who in recent years has been involved in the conservation controversies
surrounding that superb river the Yorkshire Derwent, I galloped through the book
looking for references to it. There were three listed in the index - I could only find two of
them, but the main one was in the chapter on rivers in danger. So the index was at fault,
but that is about the only criticism I can make.

The rest is a series of excellent reviews of British rivers, their creation, variety,
development, use by man - including how to get across them via bridges, fords and ferries
- and finally their conservation status, with the authors’ thoughts on river management.
The illustrations are many and varied; Richard Muir did most of the river photographs.

If you are thinking of a suitable present for a relative, friend, your favourite water
authority official, an angler, naturalist, or country walker - or even yourself - I can
recommend this book. Who knows, it might be the inspiration for a British Rivers Trust
one day.

TMC

HABITAT RELATIONSHIPS OF MILLIPEDES FROM CHESHIRE

C. P. WHEATER1 and H. J. READ2

1 Department of Environmental Biology, University of Manchester
2 Department of Botany, University of Bristol

Abstract

Millipedes were sampled from eight sites in Cheshire. The species caught have been
examined in relation to their known distributions and the data used to group the habitats
according to the species found in them. Two major groups were observed: woodlands and
open and/or wet areas. Within these groups other habitat similarities were noted.

Introduction

Millipedes are common woodland arthropods, frequently being found in leaf litter, humus
and under stones, logs and the bark of dead tree trunks and stumps. During an
investigation into the surface-active Coleoptera of a number of sites in Cheshire (Wheater
1984) a large number of millipedes were also collected. This paper presents the data and
attempts to define habitat types in relation to the species found.

Methods

Two areas in Cheshire, Abbot’s Moss Hall, near Delamere Forest (SJ5968) and Tabley
Hall, near Knutsford (SJ7276) were sampled from March to November 1981. Sampling
was carried out using pitfall traps (9 cm diam x 13.5 cm deep); a grid of 15 traps placed at
each site was examined at fortnightly intervals.

Abbot’s Moss Hall

Four sites all on sandy soil: a dense coniferous woodland of Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga
menziesii) (AC); a deciduous woodland mainly of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur)
(AD); a marshy area adjacent to a pond (AM) and a mixed woodland of pedunculate oak
and Douglas fir (AW).

Tabley Hall

Five sites all on clay: a grazed pasture (where no millipedes were found); a small copse of
horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) next to a lake (TL); a very wet marshy area of
bulrushes (Scirpus lacustris) (TM); a scrubby area of reeds (Juncus) and bramble (Rubus)
(TS) and a deciduous woodland of beech (Fagus sylvatica) (TW). The species were
identified and habitats compared using the Maximum Likelihood Index of Similarity. This
index takes into account the presence and absence of species at the sites, and uses the total
number of species found during the study. It also provides a measure of significance with
similarities greater than 1.96 (or less than -1.96) being significant at the 5 per cent level
(Cook 1978).

Results

Millipedes were collected from all but the grassland site, a total of 2281 individuals from
12 species (Table 1). These included representatives from four of the six British orders and
comprised almost a quarter of the British species. The 12 species caught include the 11
commonest in Britain (Blower 1985) and a number of the most ubiquitous (e.g.
Tachypodoiulus niger, Polydesmus angustus, and Ophyiulus pilosus). A dendrogram of
similarity is presented in Fig. 1.

Discussion

All of the species collected have previously been recorded from the area and the habitat
preferences found during the study are similar to those given by Blower (1985). The
higher numbers of the less vagile species such as Ophyiulus pilosus and Julus scandinavius
may indicate that even higher densities of such species are present than are apparent at

Naturalist 112 (1987)

Habitat Relationships of Millipedes from Cheshire

TABLE 1
Species list

Species

Sites

AD AM AW TL TM

Glomeris marginata (Villers)

Nanogona polydesmoides (Leach)

Proteroiulus fuscus (Am Stein)

1 1

Ommatoiulus sabulosus (Linne)

Tachypodoiulus niger (Leach)

16 2

Cylindroiulus punctatus (Leach)

14 7

164

Cylindroiulus britannicus (Verhoeff)

Julus scandinavius Latzel

6 24 89 1

400

Ophyiulus pilosus (Newport)

4 6 53

199

Polydesmus angustus Latzel

86 39 217 21 1

537

Polydesmus denticulatus Koch

Brachydesmus superus Latzel

2 1

Key

Abbot’s Moss Hall

Tabley Hall

AC . . . coniferous woodland

TL .

. . lakeside woodland

AD . . . deciduous woodland

TM .

. . marshy site

AM . . . marshy site

TS .

. . scrubby site

AW . . . mixed woodland

TW .

. . deciduous woodland

-0-2

0-2

0-4

0-8

AC AD AW T W
WOODED

AM TM TL TS
OPEN / WET

FIGURE 1

Dendrogram of site similarities using the Maximum Likelihood Index.
The site names are as in Table 1.

Book Reviews

first sight. Pitfall trap captures reflect the abundance and activity of the animals caught,
and more vagile species (e.g. Tachypodoiulus niger ) may be more heavily represented
than less active species.

J. scandinavius was the most frequently captured of the Julini, although O. pilosus is
usually the dominant species (Blower 1985). However, Blower (pers. comm.) has
suggested that J. scandinavius may be commoner in the north of Britain. The high
captures of Cylindroiulus punctatus and Proteroiulus fuscus in the deciduous woodland at
Tabley Hall may be due to the microhabitat requirements of these species. This is an
unmanaged woodland and as a consequence rotting wood is abundant. Both of the species
are common under the bark of such wood.

Despite the collections containing many common and some eury topic species (e.g.
Ommatoiulus sabulosus and T. niger) the presence and absence of those found can be seen
to separate the sites into a number of habitat types. Although none of the similarities are
significant (all lying between -1.96 and 1.96) certain patterns can be noted. As can be
seen from the dendrogram (Fig. 1) the sites can be divided into two main groups. These
are open and/or wet areas and woodlands. Within the first group the areas of marsh form
a smaller group with the lakeside copse and the scrubby area being less similar. In the
woodland group the woodlands on sandy soil are grouped together at a much higher
similarity than is the woodland on clay soil. These results seem to indicate that even in the
absence of indicator species for wet or open areas (all of the species were common
woodland animals) habitat separation is still possible. This is probably due to the absence
from open sites of some of the species.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Professor D. M. Guthrie for granting facilities in the Zoology
Department at Manchester University, Mr J. G. Blower for reading and commenting on
the manuscript, Mr and Mrs Hamilton for permission to work at Abbot’s Moss Hall, and
the University of Manchester Estates Office for permission to work on their lands at
Tabley Hall and all our friends and colleagues who assisted with the field work.

References

Blower, J. G. (1985) Millipedes. Synopses of the British Fauna (new series). E. J. Brill,
Leiden and London.

Cook, L. M. (1978) Zaire butterflies and faunal diversity in the tropics. Biol. J. Linn. Soc.
10: 349-360.

Wheater, C. P. (1984) The ecology of some surface active Coleoptera in Cheshire. MSc
thesis, University of Manchester.

BOOK REVIEWS

Otters: Ecology and Conservation by C. F. Mason and S. M. Macdonald. Pp. 236,
including numerous black and white photographs, line drawings, maps, graphs and tables.
Cambridge University Press. 1986. £15.00.

The otter, at the top of its particular food chain, is a vulnerable animal in a vulnerable
habitat and can be used as an indication of a healthy environment, a good otter population
reflecting a properly functioning aquatic eco-system.

This important book describes how otters have decreased substantially in numbers and
range during the present century through the combined effects of water pollution, habitat
destruction, disturbance and direct persecution.

Since the realization that all was not well with the Eurasian otter population, a wave of
research projects and surveys have been undertaken, providing an enormous international
corpus of data relating to distributional history, rates of decline, feeding and breeding
biology, ecology, habitat requirements and conservation. Mason and Macdonald have
compiled a masterly and most readable review, making full and imaginative use of this

22 Book Reviews

newly available knowledge, including much original work undertaken by the authors
themselves.

For students of environmental sciences, from GCSE to MSc level, the book provides an
analysis of numerous case studies illustrating the effects on eco-systems of land use
changes and land management strategies. It should therefore be on the library shelves of
every senior school, college and university.

Hardly any aspect of modern life remains unscathed by this multi-disciplinary study, be
it the use of toxic chemicals and fertilizers and the ploughing of upland pastures by the
farming industry, massive coniferous afforestation by the forestry industry, acidification of
water through our burning of fossil fuels, clinical management of rivers and other
watercourses by the water industry and disturbance of aquatic habitats by the leisure
industry.

The star performers in this engrossing work may be the world’s nine species of otter, of
interest chiefly to mammalogists, but the examples given and lessons learned have
repercussions for all branches of wildlife studies.

So important are the environmental issues, and so clearly and concisely are they
presented and discussed, that Mason and Macdonald’s Otters: Ecology and Conservation
would be a useful reference work for the staffs and governors of water boards, the MAFF
and planning authorities.

CAH

Identifying Animal Tracks by Richard Headstrom. Pp. 141, with many line drawings.
Dover Publications. 1986. £2.50.

Since this small pocket guide deals exclusively with the eastern United States, it will
probably be of limited appeal to British naturalists. However, if you are an animal track
enthusiast, or are planning a trip to the USA, you will find the book interesting and a good
inexpensive introduction to tracking and trailing in North America.

Unlike similar books of this type, Identifying Animal Tracks is not only concerned with
mammals: birds, reptiles and even amphibians get a mention.

JKS

Practical Deer-stalking. A Constable Guide by G. Kenneth Whitehead. Pp. 184, with
numerous black and white photographs, line drawings and diagrams. Constable. 1986.
£9.95.

With its emphasis on firearms and techniques of butchery, this is perhaps a strange book
to review in the pages of The Naturalist. However, as a practical guide it contains sections,
particularly those on stalking and fieldcraft, potentially useful for naturalists interested in
deer watching or indeed watching any large mammal in the field.

Techniques for ageing carcases based on tooth wear characteristics are clearly
illustrated and provide a useful guide for those lucky enough to come across skeletal
material, road casualties, etc. Guidance on the preparation and mounting of trophies
enables this material to be properly conserved and presented.

A clear outline of the annual cycles of reproduction and antler growth is given for each
British species and is of use if planning fieldwork or excursions to deer parks. The
legislation covering close seasons, use of firearms and ammunition for the various species
in Great Britain and Ireland is reviewed in a simple and clear digest.

CAH

The Dragonflies of Great Britain and Ireland by Cyril O. Hammond. 2nd edition, revised
by Robert Merritt. Pp. 116, with 20 colour plates, 23 figures and 44 maps. Harley Books,
Great Horkesley, Essex. 1985. £9.75 paperback.

A postscript to the preface notes the rediscovery of Lestes dry as in Essex, Norfolk and
Kent and further locations in Ireland for Coenagrion lunulatum-, otherwise this appears to
be a straightforward reprint, likely to attract some who would baulk at the price of the
hardback edition.

JHF

THE PAST AND PRESENT OCCURRENCE OF THE MOSS ANOMODON
LONGIFOLIUS IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND

T. L. BLOCKEEL

9 Ashfurlong Close, Dore, Sheffield SI 7 3NN

Anomodon longifolius was first collected in the north of England by J. G. Baker on the
banks of the River Tees near Egglestone Abbey in 1856, and the record duly appears in his
Flora of North Yorkshire (Baker 1906). A few years later, in 1861, it was collected in small
quantity on Ingleborough by John Nowell but the record was never published until the
specimens were discovered a few years ago in the British Museum. Later in the century
four new localities were reported by Richard Barnes in Teesdale, Swaledale and
Wensleydale (Barnes 1890, 1897) and the plant was evidently not very rare in these Dales
at that time. It was last seen, apparently, during the YNU excursion to Wensleydale in
1905 and has not been seen since. Full details of these early records are given in
Appendix 1.

A similar pattern of decline is apparent elsewhere in Britain. A. longifolius is recorded
from the Wye Valley in Hereford, Monmouth and Gloucester, and from limestone near
Wells in Somerset, but it possibly survives now only in Gloucester. In Scotland it is known
from the Den of Airlie in Angus and from calcareous schists in Perthshire but may be
extinct in the former locality. The species therefore may survive in only two of the nine
British vice-counties from which it has previously been recorded.

During a visit to Anston Stones Wood in South Yorkshire (VC 63) in February 1986, 1
noticed a small population of a slender wiry moss which had the habit of A. longifolius,
and microscopic examination confirmed that this was indeed the case. The habitat was on
the face of a large shaded boulder of Magnesian Limestone and associated species
included Neckera complanata and Anomodon viticulosus. Anston Stones Wood is noted as
one of the most important bryological sites in South-west Yorkshire (VC 63) with a flora
which includes Marchesinia mackaii, Cololejeunea rosettiana and Amblystegium
compactum, but the occurrence there of A. longifolius is none the less remarkable. The
causes of the decline of this species in Britain are obscure. Collecting may have been a
factor in the Wye valley but this can hardly have been the case in North Yorkshire, from
where I have seen only a few herbarium specimens. The new locality, which is close to the
mining and industrial areas of South Yorkshire, suggests that atmospheric pollution may
also not be a factor of significance. Although a brief visit to Egglestone Abbey in June
1986 failed to reveal the species, it is difficult to believe that it has entirely disappeared
from the northern Dales.

There remains one small mystery in connection with A. longifolius and its occurrence in
Teesdale. One of the surviving specimens of Baker’s 1856 gathering (preserved in CMM)
is actually Anomodon attenuatus. This latter species has been recorded in Britain only
from Perthshire and Angus and it is believed extinct in both counties. Teesdale would
therefore represent a large extension of its British range and since all the BM material
from Egglestone Abbey is A. longifolius, some doubt must attach to the provenance of the
Bradford specimen. Both species however are recorded from the Den of Airlie in Angus
and the possibility that they occurred together in Teesdale cannot be entirely dismissed.

Acknowledgements

I wish to thank Miss M. M. Hartley (Cliffe Castle, Keighley) for the loan of specimens,
and the Curator of the Herbarium at the British Museum for the loan of a wide range of
British material of both A. longifolius and A. attenuatus.

References

Baker, J. G. (1906) The mosses and hepaticae of North Yorkshire (revised by M. B.
Slater), in: North Yorkshire (second edition). Trans. Yorks. Nat. Un. 33: 417-645.

Naturalist 112 (1987)

24 Book Review

Barnes, R. (1890) Some additional localities for the mosses of North Yorkshire and South
Durham. Naturalist 15: 211-222.

Barnes, R. (1897) Some new records for the moss-flora of Nidderdale and Wensleydale.
Naturalist 22: 179-188.

Ingham, W. (1905) Mosses and hepatics of Askrigg and district. Naturalist 30: 278-280.
W[aite], E. R. (1892) The Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union at Rokeby. Naturalist 17:
205-215.

Appendix I

Early records of Anomodon longifolius in the north of England

1. Ingleborough (VC 64). The only record was made by John Nowell, 6 June 1861. The
record was not published at the time. Specimens are preserved in Herb. H. H. Wood,
Herb. Hunt and Herb. Braithwaite [BM], The specimens are annotated ‘on the ledge
of a limestone rock on Ingleborough’ and ‘found only one small patch’.

2. River Tees near Egglestone Abbey, Teesdale (VC 65). The first record was made by
J. G. Baker in 1856 and was published as follows: ‘On rocks by the side of the Tees
near Egglestone Abbey, where the main limestone issues from beneath the millstone
grit’ (Baker, 1906). There are specimens in Herb. Wilson (dated June 1856), Herb.
Hunt (dated May 1856) and Herb. Braithwaite [BM]. The plant was refound in the
same or an adjacent locality by R. Barnes and M. Slater during the YNU Excursion to
Rokeby in 1892 (Waite, 1892).

3. Richmond, Swaledale (VC 65). The only record was made by R. Barnes in December
1888 and published shortly afterwards (Barnes, 1890). There are specimens in Herb.
West and Herb. Braithwaite [BM].

4. Keld, Swaledale (VC 65). The only record was made by R. Barnes in October 1889
(Barnes, 1890). No specimen traced.

5. Askrigg, Wensleydale (VC 65). The first record was made by R. Barnes between 1893
and 1897 (Barnes, 1897) and the plant was refound by W. Ingham during the YNU
Excursion to Aysgarth in 1905 (Ingham, 1905). No specimen traced.

6. Winston Bridge, Teesdale (VC 66). The only record was made by R. Barnes in
December 1887. The published record (Barnes, 1890) specifically refers to the Durham
side of the Tees. A specimen in Herb. Braithwaite [BM] localized simply as ‘Winston’
presumably belongs to this gathering.

BOOK REVIEW

Birdlife: Insights into the Daily Lives of Birds by Jim Flegg. Pp. 176, with black and white
sketches. Pelham Books. 1986. £12.95.

Using examples from around the world, this book covers a wide range of ornithological
topics, ranging from the origin of birds to migration and from feeding techniques to
breeding biology. As the publishers claim, it is easy to read and the bordered format of the
pages with sketches incorporated into the text is quite attractive.

Unfortunately however most of the subjects are treated very superficially. The
experienced ornithologist will find little new information here and the beginner will get a
very incomplete picture of birds’ life-styles. For example, when discussing the ways in
which bee-eaters deal with stinging hymenoptera no mention is made of the very
interesting devenoming behaviour. Further, the statement that bee-eaters are ‘as
susceptible to bee stings as any other bird or mammal’ would be challenged by some
authorities.

Scientific names are not included, which is unfortunate especially when there are
mistakes in the common name; for example, the great black-backed gull is referred to on
page 37 as ‘great backed gull’ and twice, including the index entry, as ‘greater
black-backed gull’. Another omission is the lack of any bibliography, making it difficult,
especially for the beginner, to follow up topics of interest.

A disappointing book which at £12.95 is rather poor value.

JKS

BOTANICAL REPORT FOR 1985

FLOWERING PLANTS AND FERNS

All the Recorders thank members who have contributed to these reports. They have
selected from the lists received those records of species which add to the information on
distribution within the vice-counties.

The names of contributors are given the first time they appear in each vice-county
report and thereafter initials are used. The figures indicate 10 km grid references,
t new county record * new vice-county record

East Yorkshire (VC 61) (F. E. Crackles)

A 10 km square reference indicates a first record for the square.

Hypericum maculatum x H. perforatum = H. x desetangsii Lamotte Kilnsea Warren
54/41, 1984; J. R. Comley and M. Nicholls.

Hypericum montanum L. Disused railway, Wharram 44/86; E.C.

Minuartia hybrida (Vill.) Schischk. Disused railway, Kipling Cotes 44/94; D. R. Grant.
Potamogeton berchtoldii Fieb. Village pond, N. Dalton 44/95; D.R.G.
f Juncus ambiguus Guss. Northern part of Spurn 54/41 and in the Kilnsea Beacon area
54/41; F. E. Crackles and M. N. Barmston 54/15; E.C.

Platanthera chlorantha (Custer) Reichb. Near Butterwick 44/97; B. Pashby.
Dactylorhiza purpurella (T. and T. A. Stephenson) Soo, form B Steph. Over 900
plants, Victoria Dock, Hull; J. Giblin and F.E.C.

Acorus calamus L. One plant, Skipwith Common 44/63; E.C.

Scirpus tabernaemontani C.C. Gmel. Near Riccall 44/63; J. Lambert.

*Festuca pratensis x Lolium multiflorum = x Festulolium loliaceum (Huds.) P.
Fourn. Near Firby 44/76; E.C., det. T. A. Cope.

North-east Yorkshire (VC 62) (T. F. Medd)

Crambe maritima Scop. Redcar 45/62; M. Yates (confirmation of pre-1930 record).
Saponaria officinalis L. Tollerton 44/56; Miss J. E. Dinwiddie.

Stellaria neglecta Weihe Castle Levington 45/41; I. C. Lawrence.

Ribes spicatum Robson Cropton 44/78; YNU Excn.

Epilobium roseum Schreb. Marton 45/51; I.C.L.

Parietaria judaica L. Saltburn 45/62; I.C.L.

Ulmus plotii Druce Cornelian Bay, Scarborough 54/08 and Scalby 54/09; R. and M.
Gulliver.

Anagallis tenella (L.) L. Guisborough 45/61; I.C.L.

Utricularia vulgaris L. Tollerton 44/56; J.E.D.

Senecio sylvaticus L. Danby 45/70 and Hawsker 45/90; R. and M. G.

Gymnadenia conopsea ssp. densiflora (Wahlenb.) G. Camus, Bergon and A.

Camus. Skinningrove and Hummersea Cliffs 45/71 and 72; I.C.L.

Dactylorhiza traunsteineri (Sauter) Soo Harwood Dale 44/99; J. H. Bolton and F.
Horsman det. D. J. Tennant.

*D. x jenensis (Brand.) Soo (D. maculata x traunsteineri ) Near Pickering 44/88; M.

Foley conf. R. H. Roberts. Second English record.

Anacamptis pyramidalis (L.) Rich. Skinningrove 45/72; I.C.L.

Carex x pseudoaxillaris K. Richt. (C. otrubae x remota) Norton 44/76; Dr M. B.
Usher.

South-west Yorkshire (VC 63) (D. R. Grant)

Equisetum sylvaticum L. Oakwell Hall, Birstall 44/22; E. Thompson.

Ophioglossum vulgatum L. Kettlethorpe, Wakefield 44/31; E.T.

Naturalist 112 (1987)

26 Botanical Report 1985

Asplenium adiantum-nigrum L. Wall, Chellow Dean Reservoir, Bradford 44/13; G.
Barker.

A. trichomanes L. Slaithwaite 44/01; B. and J. Lucas.

Ceterach officinarum DC. With A. adiantum-nigrum ; G.B.

Ranunculus omiophyllus Ten. ( R . lenormandii F. W. Schultz.) Cullingworth 44/03; T.
Schofield.

R. hederaceus L. Buck Mill, Thackley 44/13; Bradford Naturalists’ Society Excn.
Ceratophyllum demersum L. Denaby Ings Nature Reserve 44/40; D. Bramley.
Chelidonium majus L. Carleton 34/94; D. R. Grant.

Saponaria officinalis L. Old railway, Felkirk, Wakefield 44/31; E.T.

Cerastium arvense L. Roadside, Heath Common, Wakefield 44/31; C. Hartley.
Cardaria draba (L.) Desv. Normanton 44/32; D.R.G.

Hypericum humifusum L. Thrybergh 43/49; YNU Excn.

H. montanum L. Fryston Wood, Castleford 44/42; T.S.

Geranium sylvaticum L. Old railway, Earby 34/94; D.R.G.

Genista anglica L. On the county border at Salterforth 34/84; M. and W. Yewdall;
Denaby Ings Nature Reserve 44/40; D.B.

Crataegus laevigata (Poiret) DC. (C. oxyacanthoides Thuill.) Near Hellaby 43/59; R.
Smith.

Anthriscus caucalis Bieb. Near Cantley 44/60; D.B.

Oenanthe crocata L. Hoyle Mill, Barnsley 44/30; J. Lunn.

Silaum silaus (L.) Schinz & Thell. Firsby Reservoir 43/49; YNU Excn.

Bryonia dioica Jacq. Near Hatfield Woodhouse 44/60; D.R.G. Kilnhurst Bridge 43/49;
J. Stone.

Humulus lupulus L. Near Woolley Edge, Wakefield 44/31; D.R.G.

Populus canescens (Ait.) Sm. Roadside A614, Torne Bridge 44/60; E.T.

Lysimachia vulgaris L. Buck Mill, Thackley 44/13; BNS Excn.

Ligustrum vulgare L. Fryston Wood, Castleford 44/42; T.S.

Blackstonia perfoliata (L.) Huds. Fryston Wood, Castleford 44/42; T.S.

Scrophularia umbrosa Dumort. Lothersdale 34/94; D.R.G.

Crepis paludosa (L.) Moench Near Thornton-in-Craven 34/94; D.R.G.

Baldellia ranunculoides (L.) Pari. Torne Bridge, near Blaxton 44/60; D.R.G.

Juncus subnodulosus Schrank Torne Bridge, near Blaxton 44/60; E.T.

Epipactis phyllanthes G.E.Sm. Fryston Wood, Castleford 44/42; S. King.

Typha angustifolia L. Kirkthorpe, Wakefield 44/32; E.T.

Care x pseudocyperus L. Drain near Cantley 44/60; D.R.G.

C. pallescens L. Lothersdale 34/94; D.R.G.

C. otrubae Podp. Stanley Nature Reserve, Wakefield 44/32; E.T.

C. spicata Huds. Firsby Reservoir, Ravenfield 43/49; YNU Excn.

Glyceria plicata Fr. Thrybergh Reservoir 43/49; YNU Excn.

G. maxima (Hartm.) Holmberg Near Oldfield 44/03; D.R.G.

Festuca arundinacea Schreb. Near Walden Stubbs 44/51; E.T.

Vulpia myuros (L.) C.G.Gmel. Thrybergh tip area 44/49; YNU Excn.

Puccinellia distans (L.) Pari. Near Almholme, Doncaster 44/50; E.T.

Bromus erectus Huds. Scawsby 44/50; E.T.

Aira praecox L. Near Carleton 34/94; D.R.G. Near Cullingworth 44/03; E.T.

Apera spica-venti (L.) Beauv. Near Kilnhurst Bridge 43/49; YNU Excn.

Mid-west Yorkshire (VC 64) (L. Magee)

The list from D. R. Grant is very comprehensive and includes interesting species found
during YNU excursions. Of special interest is the discovery of a large number of plants of
Actaea spicata from Huddlestone Wood.

+ not recorded for 10 km grid square in Plant Atlas.

Botanical Report 1985 27

+Equisetum telmateia Ehrh. Near Foxup 34/87; Wharfedale Naturalists’ Society Bot.
Sec. Excn. per Mrs J. E. Duncan.

Actaea spicata L. 70 plants, Huddlestone Wood 44/33; A. Pearson.

Silene noctiflora L. Near Huddlestone Wood 44/33; A.P.

+ Cerastium glomeratum Thuill. Near Foxup 34/87; W.N.S.

Malva moschata L. White-flowered form, Grass Wood 34/96; Mrs F. C. Draper.
+Rubus chamaemorus L. Birks Tarn 34/97; Mrs A. M. Gramshaw.

Oenanthe fistulosa L. Farnham Mires 33/60; D. R. Grant.

Silaum silaus (L.) Schinz and Thell. Appleton Roebuck 44/54; D.R.G.

+Populus tremula L. Near Foxup 34/87; W.N.S.

Pyrola minor L. Mickley 44/27; D.R.G.

Menyanthes trifoliata L. In 10 km square 44/85; D.R.G.

Scrophularia umbrosa Dumort. Near Wetherby 44/34; D.R.G.

+Mentha spicata L. Near Addingham 44/04; J.E.D.

Littorella uniflora (L.) Aschers. Eccup Reservoir 44/24; L. Magee.

+ Viburnum opulus L. Near Foxup 34/87; W.N.S.

+ Cirsium heterophyllum (L.) Hill Near Addingham 44/04; J.E.D.

-I -Triglochin palustris L. Near Foxup 34/87; W.N.S.

+Juncus bufonius L. Near Foxup 34/87; W.N.S.

+J. acutiflorus Ehrh. ex Hoffm. Near Foxup 34/87; W.N.S.

-I -Eleocharis quinqueflora (F. X. Hartmann) Schwarz Near Foxup 34/87; W.N.S.

Carex vesicaria L. Buckden 34/97; L.M.

5-Glyceria declinata Breb. Near Foxup 34/87; W.N.S.

Hordeum secalinum Schreb. Appleton Roebuck 44/54; D.R.G.

Calamagrostis canescens (Weber) Roth Stub Wood 44/54; and Lindley Wood 44/24;
D.R.G.

North Yorkshire (VC 65) (T. F. Medd)

Allium oleraceum L. Aysgarth 44/08; D. R. Grant.

Hammarbya paludosa (L.) Kuntze Near Sedbergh 34/69; F. Horsman and A. Stoddard
(1983 confirmation of 1938 record (Nat. 1938, 291)); on the Yorkshire side of River
Tees between High Force and Cronkley 35/82; F.H. (confirmation of 1940 record
(Nat. 1940, 252) by Dr W. A. Sledge).

Festuca arundinacea Schreb. Aysgarth 44/08; D.R.G.

Casuals and Adventives (E. Chicken)

For this year’s report 82 records have been received from nine people concerning 47
species, a considerable decrease in the number of species compared with last year.

Mr J. Martin sent in a list of 32 records mostly from fields treated with shoddy. The
majority of these have been reported in recent years from the same area and are not listed
below. Mr D. R. Grant sends 31 records of established aliens such as Reynoutria japonica
and Symphoricarpos rivularis and these also are entered in the card index, but are not
listed here. Most intriguing of the native plants is the sterile Circaea x intermedia , a plant
mainly of hilly areas in the west and north of the British Isles, now found in woodland
formerly part of the Boynton estate near Bridlington.

A selection of plants is given, determination being by the finder unless otherwise stated.

Azolla filiculoides Lam. Pond, Osgodby 44/73; E. Chicken.

Corrigiola litoralis L. Disused railway, near S. Cave 44/93; A. and H. Peacock.
Sisymbrium loeselii L. (63) Field with shoddy, Mickletown 44/42; 1984, J. Martin.
Galega officinalis L. (63) Hillside by canal, Milnsbridge 44/11; Mrs J. Lucas.

Coronilla varia L. (63) Long Sandal, Doncaster 44/60; Mrs D. Bramley per D. R.
Grant. Pildacre Hill, Ossett 44/22; C. Braham.

Book Reviews

Cyperus longus L. Thorpe Marsh, Doncaster 44/60; D.B.

Ribes aureum Pursh (61) Old garden site, Kilnsea Warren 54/41; known to have been
present some years; B. Pashby det. E. Chicken.

*Circaea x intermedia Ehrh. (61) Woodland at Boynton 54/16; E.C. conf. P. Benoit.
Ammi majus L. (63) Field with shoddy, Rothwell 44/32; Mrs E. Bray det. E.C.
Foeniculum vulgare Mill. Near Thrybergh 43/49; YNU Excn. Lindholme 44/60; E.T.
Erinus alpinus L. Lothersdale Mill 34/94; D.R.G.

Centranthus ruber (L.) DC. Road cutting, Ml Motorway, Darton 44/30; D.R.G.
Lactuca serriola L. (61) New verge in central Hull 54/02; E.C.

Datura stramonium L. (64) Little Ribston near Wetherby 44/35; Dr R. Henson per Miss
M. Sanderson.

Dasypyrum villosum (L.) P. Candargy (63) Waste near Rothwell 44/32; E.B. det. T. A.
Cope.

Hordeum jubatum L. (63) Junction 22 of the M62, Moss Moor, altitude c380 m, 34/91;
D. P. Earle per Dr W. A. Sledge.

Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski (63) Field with shoddy, Mickletown 44/42;
J.M.

BOOK REVIEWS

Woodland Walks in the North of England by Gerald Wilkinson. Pp. 95, incl. over 100 full
colour photographs and maps. Webb & Bower, in conjunction with Ordnance Survey.
1986. £5.95, paperback.

A better title for this book would be ‘Woodlands with Walks’ as it is a comprehensive
catalogue of woodlands with only general information about the walks. There is precise
information on the location of each woodland, backed up by excellent OS maps, and there
are notes on the character of each, again complemented by good photographs. The tourist
should have no difficulty in locating the woodlands in each of the 12 blocks into which the
region is sub-divided, but should not look for much help from the index, which is patchy,
giving, for example, 11 page references for ash, but none for oak, beech or birch. Overall
a useful digest of information on woodlands that are worth visiting.

ARC

Wetland: Life in the Somerset Levels by Patrick Sutherland and Adam Nicolson. Michael
Joseph. 1986. £12.95.

In recent years, naturalists and conservationists have become acutely aware of the
conflicting pressures existing between maintenance of the wildlife wetland habitats of the
Somerset Levels and demands of drainage for productive modern farming methods. Those
potential readers who are looking for a book detailing the plants, animals and
communities of this battleground will be disappointed. This book mentions but does not
concentrate on wildlife in this man-made area. Instead it provides a fascinating account of
the region from the standpoint of the other essential component of the ecosystem, namely
the people who live there. Adam Nicolson’s continuous text is a mixture of perceptive
historical and biological summary and verbatim dialogue with the inhabitants. His thesis
that ‘Wetness is not a substance but a quality, the condition of life’ is amply borne out by
his consideration of such things as floods, eels, peat, prehistoric trackways, cider and
basketry. His landscape lives. Even if you do not read the text, Patrick Sutherland’s
superb black and white photographs provide a visual summary and are worth every penny
of the price. ‘How’ and ‘why’ the present conditions exist are clearly explained. The
conservation problem is not avoided. As elsewhere in the book, the locals are allowed to
speak, providing sensible comments on ‘Sites of Special Scientific Excitement’ and the
need for protection of the ‘Greater Crested Farmer and Lesser Spotted Drainage
Engineer’. While no conclusions are forced on the reader, after reading this book it is
impossible not to add the human element into the equation. This balanced book is a
pleasure from cover to cover. Buy it and extend your horizons!

DHB

RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE

Red-legged Partridge
Photo: Arthur Gilpin

Although attempts to introduce the Red-legged Partridge into this country began as early
as 1673, it was not until 1790 that they were successful. In that year thousands of eggs were
imported, and as many of them came from France, the bird became known as the
Frenchman or French Partridge. The Red-legged Partridge is an exceptionally good
runner, and it has been suggested that the first of those names was derived from the way
the French soldiers reacted to Wellington’s men in the Peninsular Wars. As this bird likes
light soil and dry conditions it is not surprising that it became common in East Anglia, and
in Yorkshire is most often seen in the East Riding. The present methods of farming do not
seem to have affected the Red-legged as adversely as they have the native partridges and
the former has much in its favour. Its chicks are easily reared in captivity so large numbers
are released each year, and when young they require less insect food than do juveniles of
the indigenous birds. In spring about a third of the adult females lay two clutches of eggs
simultaneously, and while they incubate one of them, their mates are responsible for
hatching and rearing the chicks of the other.

Naturalist 112 (1987)

BOOK REVIEWS

Ship in the Wilderness by Jim Snyder and Keith Shackleton. Pp. 208, with 5 maps,
numerous photographic plates and pen-wash sketches (in colour). J. M. Dent. 1986.
£14.95.

This handsomely produced book (designed by Gaia Books Ltd), subtitled ‘Voyages of
the MS Lindblad Explorer through the last wild places on earth’, contains some of the
most stunningly brilliant natural history photographs that I have ever seen, and is a delight
from first page to last. It is divided into four main sections, the Antarctic; the Atlantic
Arctic; with the Galapagos islands, and the islands of the palaeotropics from the
Philippines to Fiji, as counterpoint to the polar record, together illustrating the wild places
of the earth visited each year for 15 years by this remarkable ship. The Lindblad Explorer ,
with its well-chosen crew and complement of scientists and lecturers, was the result of a
vision of ‘expedition cruising’ formulated by Lars-Eric Lindblad. For nearly 20 years this
unique adventure ship carried enthusiasts, artists and naturalists to the remotest parts of
the earth, venturing further north and further south than any passenger ship before her,
and visiting inaccessible landscapes with undisturbed wildlife colonies during her
1,500,000 miles of travels.

A record of this achievement, invoking history, politics (the Falklands) and personal
reminiscence from the many logs kept by successive ship’s naturalists has been welded into
a lively, sympathetic text by Keith Shackleton, a long-time naturalist on the Lindblad
Explorer. He also contributes many pen-and-wash sketches of coastal views and natural
history subjects which are placed alongside the text in a decorative and mostly unobtrusive
fashion. Text and sketch combine to give an authentic feel to what it must have been like
to voyage across the world in this extraordinary craft. However, for me, the crowning
glory of the book must remain the sustained brilliance of the colour photography. With
eye and lens, Jim Snyder has composed one of the most breathtaking portfolios of natural
history photographs it is possible to imagine. Additional comment on his virtuoso skill
would be superfluous; buy this beautifully designed book and revel in it for yourself.

DJG

Evolution by Raymond Hawkey. Pp. 10, illustrated in colour. Genesis Productions. 1986.
Price £9.95.

This book has five ‘openings’, each of which reveals an impressive 3D ‘pop-up’ effect. It
begins with a volcano in eruption and ends with an astronaut making a ‘great leap’ on the
surface of the moon. In between we have Eusthenapteron emerging onto land, dinosaurs
dying, and Australopithecus attacking an antelope with a hand axe; as a bonus there is the
skull of the ‘missing link’. Additional minor effects can be achieved by pulling tabs; such
things as Homo habilis rather wearily chipping a flint, and the sun turning into a red dwarf
(though if you stop halfway the sun looks more like a gigantic electric fan, an appearance
unknown to astronomy!). So far, and because of the face of a young girl on the cover (or
rather, half a girl’s face; the other half is the face of an ape man), the book seems designed
to amuse children; but the text is quite advanced, and printed in small type. The Deputy
Keeper of Public Services at the British Museum (Natural History) and three other
Keepers at the Museum are credited as having assisted with the text, so it can be taken as
authentic. Already it is dated: Eusthenapteron , the fish that is stated to be the ancestor of
terrestrial vertebrates, used to be suggested for this role because it was thought to have
internal nostrils; more complete and better prepared fossils have revealed that this is not
the case. The extinction of the dinosaurs is attributed here to the effects of the collision of
a gigantic meteorite with the earth which was alleged to have deposited the metals osmium
and iridium worldwide; it is now known that these deposits are not contemporaneous. The
hypothesis, popular 10 years ago, that flagellate organisms are a complex symbiosis of
animal cells, algal cells, and spirochaetes, is presented as fact. All in all, this is a very
mixed publication, aimed perhaps at a very mixed audience.

FHB

THE EVANIOIDEA (HYMENOPTERA, PARASITICA) OF YORKSHIRE

W. A. ELY

Clifton Park Museum, Rotherham

The insects of this superfamily are unique amongst the British Hymenoptera because the
gaster (the apparent abdomen) is attached to the metasoma (the apparent thorax) on the
dorsal surface, immediately behind the wings. In all other groups the gaster is sessile
(sawflies) or inserted ventrally, between the coxae. There are eight British species of
Evanioidea in three families and all are southern insects in Britain.

The only family so far found in Yorkshire is the Gasteruptionidae, with its single genus
Gasteruption, which is cleptoparasitic on solitary bees. The parasite lays its egg on the egg
or food store of the host and the larva hatches after two or three days. It eats the host egg
and then the food store and may enter a second cell and consume the larva and food there
as well (Malyshev 1964).

The earliest recorded occurrence is an example of Gasteruption assectator (L.), the
commonest British species, collected by W. J. Fordham at Fyling Hall, near Whitby, on 1
July 1929 (Hincks 1943). This species was later found to be mixed with the closely similar
G. minutum (Tournier) (Crosskey 1951), so I have attempted to find Fordham’s specimen
in order to check it. His collection went to Liverpool but the museum there suffered from
bomb damage during World War II and, although his ichneumons are present in the
Merseyside County Museum, there is no Gasteruption with them (I. D. Wallace, pers.
comm.). Claude Morley identified many of Fordham’s ichneumons and was given several
of the specimens, but there is no Yorkshire specimen with Morley ’s collection at Ipswich
Museum (H. Mendel, pers. comm.) or at the British Museum (Natural History), where
some of Morley ’s collection went. There have been no subsequent captures of
Gasteruption from the Yorkshire coast, so this record has not been confirmed.

Although no other Gasteruption records from Yorkshire have been published, a
specimen was observed at Askham Bog nature reserve in 1943, but was not captured
(Hincks 1943, 1944). The Yorkshire Museum contains the J. H. Elliott collection of
(mainly unidentified) Hymenoptera, most of which were collected around York in the
1940s and 1950s. I found three specimens of G. jaculator (L.) among this collection, from

Naturalist 112 (1987)

The Evanioidea (Hymenoptera, Parasitica) of Yorkshire

FIGURE 2

Distribution of Gasteruption species in Yorkshire
■ G. assectator (L.)

O G. jaculator (L.) 1949-1951
# G. jaculator (L.) 1984
4 G. minutum (Tournier)

? sp. indet.

Allerthorpe Common on 25 June 1950 and Shiptonthorpe on 8 July 1951, collected by
Elliott, and another from Shiptonthorpe on 22 July 1951 collected by A. Smith. Mr D. H.
Smith kindly allowed me to look over some specimens in his collection and there is one
specimen of jaculator from Thorne Waste on 25 July 1949 and three collected at Hessle on
22 July 1951. Another example of this species was collected by Derek Whiteley and myself
at Catcliffe Flash nature reserve on 17 July 1984, a particularly hot summer. I observed
another specimen, probably jaculator , investigating potential host burrows near the centre
of Rotherham on 26 June 1986.

While Fordham’s specimen could be an example of Gasteruption minutum, I have taken
an undoubted specimen of this insect from a Doncaster garden on 28 July 1984. It was
visiting a flowerbed in company with small mining bees.

Although Gasteruption looks superficially like an ichneumon it can be recognized at
once by its odd structure. It is a sun-loving insect and all the Yorkshire records are from
late June to late July in the lowlands of central and south Yorkshire, with one from the
north-east coast. I should be grateful for any odd-looking ‘ichneumons’ found on flower
heads on hot July days.

I am grateful to Dr Ian Wallace and Mr Howard Mendel for checking their collections
and to Dr Michael Fitton (British Museum (Natural History)), Mr Paul Howard
(Yorkshire Museum) and Mr Don Smith for allowing me access to the collections in their
care.

Fungus Forays in 1985

References

Crosskey, R. W. (1951) The taxonomy and biology of the British Evanioidea. Trans. R.
Ent. Soc. Lond. 102: 282-301.

Hincks, W. D. (1943) The family Evaniidae (Hymenoptera) in Yorkshire. Naturalist 68:
115.

Hincks, W. D. (1944) The Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union eighty-second Annual Report
(Hymenoptera). Naturalist 69: 36.

Malyshev, S. I. (1964) Ent. Rev. (Wash) 43: 267-271.

FUNGUS FORAYS IN 1985

Barnsley (VC 63), 9-13 May
Sheffield (VC 63), 19-23 September

T. F. HERING

Attendance at both these forays was very satisfactory, with about 15 people using
laboratory facilities, and many local friends. In the spring we had a workroom at the
Northern People’s College; the date chosen turned out to be too early for many of the
spring fungi. The autumn meeting used a laboratory at Sheffield University, and we saw
the total of agaric species recorded for Yorkshire reach 1000. This total represents some
50 years of recording, and no other county can approach it.

For the lists below I am indebted to Mr A. W. Brand, Mr A. Legg, Mr K. Payne, Mr C.
Stevenson and Dr M. Storey. * = new to Yorkshire.

List of Sites

Spring D = Deffer Wood, SE/260088

W = Worsbrough, SE/348033
Autumn H = Holmesfield Park, SK/315785

C = Chatsworth Park, SK/265705
L = Longshaw, SK/265785

Myxomycetes

Fuligo muscorum D

Ascomycetes

Geoglossum cookeanum L

Leptotrochila cerastiorum on Cerastium sp. L*

Peziza micropus D

Basidiomycetes
Rust and smut fungi

Melampsorella symphyti on Symphytum sp. W
Puccinia arenariae on Moehringia trinervia C
P. deschampsiae on Deschampsia caespitosa W

Aphyllophorales

Clavaria vermicularis L
Clavulinopsis fusiformis L
Coriolus hirsutus L
Oxyporus populinus L
Ramaria flaccida L*

Rigidoporus vitreus C

Naturalist 112 (1987)

Book Reviews

Agaricales

Agaricus macrosporus L
Amanita crocea L
Asterophora parasitica H
Clitocybe fusipes C
C. odora C
Conocybe tenera L
Coprinus leiocephalus W, C
Eccilia sericeonitida L
Entoloma porphyrophaeum L
E. sericea L

Hygrocybe aurantiosplendens L
H. citrina L*

H. flavescens L
H. marchii L
H. metapodia C
H. nigrescens L
H. russocoriaceus L

Fungi Imperfecti

Dilophospora sp., state of
Lidophia graminis W*

H. strangulata L
H. subminutula L
H. subradiatus C
H. unguinosus C, L
Hygrotrama atropuncta C
Inocybe asterospora C
Leccinum carpini H

L. variicolor H
Leptonia serrulata L
Mycena amicta C

M. longiseta L
Nolanea rhombispora L*
Pholiota alnicola L
Pleurotus cornucopiae D
Pluteus cyanopus C
Russula densifolia H
Stropharia albocyanea L

BOOK REVIEWS

John Hillaby’s Yorkshire: The Moors and Dales by John Hillaby, photographs by Michael
Stead. Pp. 176. Constable. 1986. £12.95.

John Hillaby reminisces about his life and rambles in various parts of Yorkshire, spicing
his text with wry anecdotes and personal observations. Michael Stead’s stunning
photographs which actually occupy the greater part of the book illustrate industrial and
natural landscapes in all moods and seasons and beautifully complement the text.
Together they provide a fascinating view of selected parts of the county — Hillaby’s
Yorkshire, as the title indicates.

DAC

The Collins Encyclopedia of Animal Biology edited by R. McNeill Alexander; The Collins
Encyclopedia of Animal Ecology edited by P. D. Moore; The Collins Encyclopedia of
Animal Evolution edited by R. J. Berry and A. Hallam; The Collins Encyclopedia of
Animal Behaviour edited by Peter J. B. Slater. Four volumes, each with pp. xvi + 144,
many figures, plates and photographs in colour. Collins. 1986. £9.95 each.

Each of these volumes has a similar format and style and, as the publishers claim, the set
provides a broad, coherent view of how the animal kingdom integrates with the rest of
nature. However, each book is complete in its own right.

Individual chapters are written by acknowledged subject experts who use world-wide
examples and beautiful coloured illustrations to good effect. An interesting and useful
feature of all of the volumes is the use of boxed inserts to summarize specific topics such as
gaseous exchange in insects or air conditioning in termite mounds.

Whilst many familiar topics such as the evolution of the modern horse from
Hyracotherium or Lorenz’s work on aggression are included, they are summarized and
illustrated very clearly, making the books useful for reference. It is, however, refreshing
to find some more unfamiliar examples; for instance, various bat species are used to
illustrate feeding adaptations. These books also score in their successful tackling of

Book Reviews

complicated topics like the role of DNA in protein synthesis or controversial ones like
evolution and theology. Each book has a glossary of the technical terms used and a very
good index. I would however make one or two small criticisms. Firstly, some of the
artwork is a little too bright for my taste. Few I think would object to dusty old
Archaeopteryx being given a splash of colour (if he really did look like that, what a
twitcher’s bird he would have been!), but a scarlet-breasted noctule bat is a little too
much. I also find it irritating that a book edited and published in Britain should use
American spellings throughout.

These however are minor points detracting little from these beautiful and useful books.

JKS

Birds of the Sheffield Area including the North-East Peak District, edited by Jon
Hornbuckle and David Herringshaw. Pp. 312, with 120 line drawings and over 100 maps.
Sheffield Bird Study Group and Sheffield City Libraries, Sheffield. 1985. £11.95 hardback,
£8.95 paperback..

In line with the proliferation of localized reports and avifaunas which are now being
produced in Yorkshire and to a lesser extent elsewhere, comes this volume, listing the
status of birds within the recording area (1200 km2) of the Sheffield Bird Study Group. A
study of the area’s breeding birds during the period 1975-1980 forms a major part of the
work and the results are portrayed as dot maps covering the 12 tetrad squares of the area.
The Group has recorded 248 species since its formation in 1972 and brief details are given
for a further 12, recorded prior to that date. The passage periods of several species,
notably waterfowl and waders, are presented in the form of histograms showing the
monthly distribution — a method which often oversimplifies the situation.

Preliminary chapters deal with the history of the area’s ornithology (8 pages) and its
habitats (19 pages), visible migration (6 pages) and changes in status (6 pages). The
classified list takes up 231 pages including the many line drawings which are in most cases
first class, although I felt that they were too large, overshadowing instead of complement-
ing the text.

A most useful contribution to the regional avifaunas of the British Isles and very well
designed and produced. The few typographical errors are of no significance. Certainly
good value for money considering the amount of work necessary for such a compilation.

JRM

Hoverflies by Francis S. Gilbert, with plates by Steven J. Falk. Naturalists’ Handbook 5.
Pp. 66, with 4 colour plates and 68 b/w figures. Cambridge University Press. 1986. £15
hardback, £4.50 paperback.

This is another welcome addition to the Handbook series. The rationale on the back
cover explains that the publication is tailored for students and amateurs and in this
respect, the many avenues presented for ecological study form the most valuable content
of the book. However, the author’s proficiency in the subject sometimes lays a heavy
burden on the amateur. The need, for instance, to identify aphis prey would be well
beyond the ability of most readers and the bibliography is daunting.

For the amateur student, it is safer to consider Hoverflies as whetting the appetite for
deeper study and for detailed observation in the field rather than a sure means of
identification. The author’s comments regarding the genera Cheilosia and Chrysogaster
together with the problems of teneral and abnormal specimens and a marked tendency
among hoverflies to intraspecific variation reinforce the dangers of making identifications
from descriptions of only some 17 per cent of the British list.

For the serious student of Syrphids, it is best to consider this handbook as a companion
volume to Stubbs and Falk’s British Hoverflies (1983) — the former supplementing the
latter with a wealth of ecological data. The handbook is an excellent buy for any
naturalist’s library and Falk’s superb plates (despite a slight loss of detail on reduction)
add an extra bonus.

DHS

36 Book Reviews

British Naturalists’ Association Guide to Wildlife in Towns by Ron Freethy and Guide to
Coast and Shore by Brian Barnes. Pp. 128, illustrated in colour and black and white. The
Crowood Press. 1986. £7.95 each.

These two volumes are the fifth and sixth of the Association’s guides. The continuance
and regularity of appearance of further volumes of this interesting and informative
extremely high quality well presented series is to be commended and the illustrations are
excellent as is the accompanying text.

Both authors are to be complimented on their imaginative selection of subject matter
and their method of presentation, which is not only informative but challenging, offering
opportunities for readers to carry out investigations of their own. Each gives com-
prehensive coverage of the flora and fauna and in addition deals with pollution, effects of
tourism, and the like.

Ron Freethy’s account of the wildlife in towns must surely be an eye-opener, not only
for those who spend most of their lives in urban surroundings but to the countryman as
well: the possibility of badgers entering your garden or foxes raiding your dustbin fires the
imagination.

Brian Barnes deals with the incredible variety of things to be found on coast and shore
in a most admirable manner, achieving a pleasant balance between the various groups; for
once rock pools are not presented as the only interesting habitat. With this book in hand,
any stroll along the coast or shore must become far more exciting.

There is little doubt that these two books, like their predecessors, will go a long way to
promoting an interest in and emphasizing the importance of natural history as a science
and as a leisure activity. Don’t wait until they are out of print: get your copies now.

DTR

Biological Indicators of Pollution

Edited by Professor D. H. S. Richardson

CONTENTS

• Monitoring of radionuclides using Fucus vesiculosus as a bio-indicator

• Blood lead levels in children in relation to dust and the city

• Remote sensing of marine pollution

• Remote sensing of algal growth for assessing the quality of fresh water

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa as an indicator of pollution in water

• Biological monitoring of rivers and streams using macroinvertebrates

• Macrophytes as biological indicators of organic pollution

• The use of fish in water pollution studies

• Chironomid distribution in lake sediments and past water quality

• Soil invertebrates as monitors of the effects of slurry and pesticides

• The use of leaf-yeasts as indicators of air pollution

• Lichens as pollution indicators

• Wild birds as indicators of pesticide use and agricultural practice

• Lead poisoning in mute swans and fishing practice

• Pesticides and PCBs in seabirds and coastal pollution

• Europe-wide indices for monitoring estuarine quality

• Pathobiology of estuarine fish and shell fish in relation to pollution

• Hydroids and estuarine water quality

Published by The Royal Irish Academy, 19 Dawson Street, Dublin 2,
Ireland

Available from above address price £7.00 per copy to cover cost of the
book, packing and postage.

Oxford University Press for the
Systematics Association

Coevolution and Systematics

Edited by A. R. Stone and D. L. Hawksworth

Interest in the coevolution of organisms has increased considerably in recent years, as is
apparent from a variety of symposia, books, and review articles. This volume presents a series of
essays which are specifically related to the implications of coevolution phenomena for
systematics.

Systematics Association Special Volume No. 32

0 19 857703 6, 157 pp., illus., Clarendon Press, 1986 £22.50

Systematic and Taxonomic Approaches in
Palaeobotany

Edited by Robert A. Spicer and Barry A. Thomas

This volume will enable the reader to appreciate the problems encountered in palaeobotanical
taxonomy and systematics. It will provide the information necessary for the application of
palaeobotanical studies in the wider contexts of botany and geology.

Systematics Association Special Volume No. 31

0 19 857704 4, 336 pp., illus., Clarendon Press, January 1987 £40

Biomineralization in Lower Plants and Animals

Edited by Barry S. C. Leadbeater and Robert Riding

A discussion of the controls, processes, products, and functional significance of biomineralization
in algae, protozoans, bacteria, and lichens.

Systematics Association Special Volume No. 30

0 19 857702 8, 416 pp., illus., Clarendon Press, 1986 £47.50

Infraspecific Classification of Wild and
Cultivated Plants

Edited by B. T. Styles

This volume brings together contributions from experts in botany, horticulture, agriculture, and
forestry. It explores the limitations of present systems of classification, and gives consideration to
developing more satisfactory and workable systems for the future.

Systematics Association Special Volume No. 29

0 19 857701 X, 448 pp., illus., Clarendon Press, 1986 £50

The Origins and Relationships of Lower
Invertebrates

Edited by S. Conway Morris, J. D. George, R. Gibson, and H. M. Platt

This volume aims to present a broad synthesis or overview of current trends and thoughts, and to
point out some of the areas that are likely to show especially rapid development over the next
few years.

Systematics Association Special Volume No. 28

0 19 857181 X, 432 pp., illus., Clarendon Press, 1985 £50

Oxford University Press

Collins

NEW GENERATION GUIDES

. . not only field guides of unusual
excellence but also a deeper
analysis of the issues that affect
the lives of plants and birds.”

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April — June 1987

The

Number 981
Volume 112

A11C -J • Volume m

N atur alist

A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY FOR THE NORTH OF ENGLAND

300 Years of Yorkshire Lichenology — M. R. D. Seaward

Aspects of the Life History of Unionicola ypsilophora (Bonz,
1783) — R. A. Baker

Distribution and Abundance of the Starfish Asterias rubens L.
on an Intertidal Mussel Bed in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire

— David Jones

Verpa conica : a Rare Morel Found in Two New Yorkshire
Vice-counties — A. Gramshaw, M. C. Clark and T. F. Preece

Oribatid Mites from the Isle of Man — Malcolm Luxton

Published by the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union
Editor M. R. D. Seaward, MSc, PhD, DSc, FLS, The University, Bradford

Photographic Plates

Readers of The Naturalist will have noticed that the number of photographic illustrations has
increased in recent years. Good clear photographs, suitably captioned, to accompany articles or
as independent features, such as the bird portraits by Arthur Gilpin in the last three issues, are
always welcome.

To encourage this development, a long-standing member of the YNU, who wishes to remain
anonymous, has most generously offered to make a donation, the income from which would
finance the publication of a plate or equivalent illustration in future issues whenever possible.
The editor, on behalf of the YNU, wishes to record his deep appreciation of this imaginative
gesture.

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300 YEARS OF YORKSHIRE LICHENOLOGY

M. R. D. SEAWARD

Presidential Address to the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union, Mas ham, 6 December 1986
Introduction

Study of the Yorkshire lichen flora has been a continuing process for three centuries,
during which time we have been particularly fortunate in having a succession of
enthusiasts, many of whom were not only able lichenologists but were also interesting,
and in some cases more than a little eccentric, personalities. Our county has also been
unusually active in the formation of natural history societies, a high number of which,
affiliated to the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union, continue to thrive to this day. Not
surprisingly, this long period of activity has resulted in an impressive corpus of licheno-
logical knowledge, accumulated by individuals, both amateur and professional, and
societies, in the form of publications, herbarium collections and archival materials.

Progress in Yorkshire lichenology can be interpreted in terms of the cumulative
number of species recorded; quantitative assessment for the first hundred years is
unrealistic, but the pattern of accumulation over the past two centuries can be displayed
graphically (Fig. 1): the growth curve clearly shows three periods of intensive activity
(1) at the turn of the 19th century, (2) during the mid-19th century, and (3) over the
past twenty-five years, which broadly coincide with national trends (Seaward 1987). Such
an interpretation does not, however, truly reflect the activities of the many engaged in

FIGURE 1

Progress in Yorkshire lichenology 1786-1986: cumulative number of species recorded;
collectors for the periods indicated: A — Bolton, Brunton; B — Nowell, Bohler; C —
Mudd, Dixon, Carrington; D — Lees, West, Hebden; E — Watson; F — Numerous
members of the British Lichen Society.

basic field recording (for a very large county) and of those who kept lichenology alive
when field guides and reference works were unavailable, when local contacts were few
and far between, or when the subject fell into decline nationally. In order to appreciate
more fully the development of Yorkshire lichenological knowledge, a bio-bibliographical
approach has been adopted here.

Naturalist 112 (1987)

300 Years of Yorkshire Lichenology

Tentative Beginnings

Richard Richardson (1663-1741) of North Bierley (Fig. 2) is credited with being the first
Yorkshireman to collect lichens. His main interest was in flowering plants, particularly
medicinal ones of value to him as a physician. Although he published little himself, he
contributed significantly to the work of other botanists. Thoresby (1715) regarded him
as ‘learned and ingenious’ and mentions his collections of native and exotic plants.
Richardson travelled extensively in search of plants and was in contact with many leading
botanists of the day, including Johann Jacob Dillenius (1684-1747) who acknowledged
his help in the third edition of Ray’s Synopsis (1724), which he edited, and in his preface
to Historia muscorum (Dillenius 1742) Richardson is referred to as ‘ nuper rebus humanis
exemptus' .

Yorkshire lichen records attributable to Richardson, occasionally citing the locality,

FIGURE 2

Richard Richardson FRS (1663-1741).

are scattered throughout the Synopsis (e.g. pp. 66, 68, 69, 71, 72, 74), Historia muscorum
(e.g. pp. 64, 132, 142, 199), and other major British floras such as Hudson’s Flora
Anglica (see below). Richardson’s botanical pursuits are said to have begun about 1687,
but the first dated reference to a lichen record is 1704; his collections, now housed in
the Dillenian Herbarium at Oxford University (Clokie 1964), require further investigation
in terms of Yorkshire lichen material. Samuel Brewer (1670-1743), a botanical friend
and neighbour of Richardson, may also have been involved in some of these collections
(Seaward 1975). Further biographical details on Richardson are to be found in Nichols
(1817) and Dandy (1958), and can be gleaned from some of his correspondence published
in Turner (1835); two letters from the well-known Yorkshire gardener Thomas Knowlton
(1691-1781) to Richardson have recently been published by Henrey (1986).

James Dickson (1738-1822) refers to Yorkshire lichens in the first three fascicles of

300 Years of Yorkshire Lichenology

his Plantarum cryptogamicarum britanniae (1785, p. 13; 1790, p. 18; 1793, pp. 13, 14,
15); the sources of these records are unknown, one being attributed to D. Curtis, but
in view of a reference made in Smith and Sowerby’s English Botany (1807, plate no.
1778) to Lichen candidus (i.e. Dickson 1793, fasc. 3, p. 15) being ‘first observed by Mr
Dickson on rocks in Yorkshire’, there is some evidence to suggest that this important
lichenologist recorded from the county.

Yorkshire’s most famous 18th-century botanist was James Bolton (/?.1750s-1799) of
Halifax. Despite extensive researches (e.g. Crump & Crossland 1904, Watling & Seaward
1981), there are still major lacunae in our biographical knowledge of Bolton, and we
know little of his background, including date of birth, and early life. His talent as a
botanical artist and portrayer of taxonomic detail is widely recognized, but his role in
Yorkshire recording is less clearly understood: there is strong reason to believe, for
example, that the valuable catalogue of plants (including lichens) for the Halifax district
in Watson’s History and Antiquities of the Parish of Halifax (1775), often attributed to
James Bolton, was in part due to his brother Thomas (fl . 1750s-1778). Nevertheless,
there is little doubt that James had a hand in its compilation, particularly in respect of
the fungi and lichens (Watling & Seaward 1981). Of the 83 species of lichens enumerated,
66 can be identified with certainty, the others being lost in synonymy for the most part;
the list provides a rare glimpse of the luxuriance of the Yorkshire lichen flora prior to
the impact of the Industrial Revolution, nearly two-thirds of the species recorded having
long since disappeared due to the destruction of habitats and the rise in air pollution.

A further interesting lichen record for this period is that of Lobaria scrobiculata frdm
Halifax; it is substantiated by herbarium material (Seaward 1975, figure 3) and attributed
to John Lightfoot (1735-1788).

The end of the 18th century saw the publication of several major British floras, most
of which contained a cryptogamic section (e.g. Hudson 1762, 1778, Withering 1796);
Yorkshire lichen records, often localized, are to be encountered in these works, but
most of them refer to the collections of Richardson and Bolton. The record in Hudson
(1778, p. 531) of Parmeliella plumbea, as ‘ Lichen imbricatus foliolis lobatis . . . &c’,
occurring ‘ prope Bradford in comitatu EboracensV was an error for Bradford-on-Avon
in Wiltshire that was to be perpetuated in subsequent literature for many years (e.g.
Withering 1812, Seaward 1975).

Contributors to English Botany

The major botanical publication of this period, English Botany (1790-1814), illustrated
by James Sowerby (1757-1822) with a text mainly prepared by James Edward Smith
(1759-1828), called upon the services of a nationwide team of botanists for the collection
of specimens and the provision of field notes: the illustrations, published continuously
over the 24-year period, ran to 36 volumes and included c. 390 lichens. References to
Yorkshire lichens are numerous, many being qualified by localities and the names of
collectors such as William Borrer (1810, no. 2218), William Brunton (1806, no. 1549),
Samuel Hailstone (1807, no. 1793), Jonathan Salt (1799, no. 593) and Robert Teesdale
(1798, no. 452). From an analysis of this monumental work it is possible to gauge the
involvement in Yorkshire lichenology of those living within and without the county. Of
particular interest is William Borrer (1781-1862) of Henfield, Sussex (see Smail 1974,
Hawksworth & Seaward 1977), one of the few British lichen taxonomists at that time,
whose Lichenographia britannica (Turner & Borrer 1839), undertaken between 1809
and 1814 (Hawksworth & Seaward 1978), was never completed and suffered at the
hands of its editor, Dawson Turner (1775-1858); Yorkshire records made by William
Brunton, James Bolton, Robert Teesdale and John Harriman (see below) are included
in this work.

One of the Yorkshire contributors to English Botany was the Rev. James Dalton
(1764-1843) of Copgrove near Knaresborough, and later of Croft. His correspondence,
now housed at Kew, at the British Museum (Natural History) and in the Brotherton
Collection of Leeds University Library, gives us a valuable insight into botanical pursuits

40 300 Years of Yorkshire Lichenology

at this time; after one year at his hobby he writes to James Sowerby (3/3/1802):

I live in a very retired manner and dedicate my time to my family and inoffensive
amusements ... I live in a fine county but botany, as it does not often enrich
its followers, is held in great contempt
and a few weeks later (13/5/1802):

I have been truly unfortunate, having lost three children out of four. This was
the manner of my undertaking the study of botany. My old amusements kept me
in the house, & my heart was too heavy to bear such confinement. The great
variety w[hi]ch this study presents has been of most material benefit to me: and
I am now quite an enthusiast. Having no one to assist me, in this neighbourhood,

I have been under the necessity of laying out (for me) a large sum in botanical
publications. My library now contains many of the best.

Dalton obviously went to great lengths to collect material for Sowerby, for he writes
(5/4/1803); ‘I send you specimens of Dicranum fiexuosum — for which I rode 34 miles
yesterday’; this material was used for illustration no. 1491 in Smith and Sowerby (1805),
as were several other bryophytes he collected, but his lichen collections appear as records
in Turner and Dillwyn’s Botanist’s Guide (1805) and Lees’ Flora of West Yorkshire
(1888). Dalton’s phanaerogamic herbarium, and some manuscript material, is in the
Yorkshire Museum, York (Simms 1969), but the whereabouts of his cryptogamic
herbarium, presented to that Museum in 1842, is unknown; could the latter have formed
the basis, or part of, the Yorkshire Museum collection reported by Coppins and Seaward
(1976) which includes material collected by Dalton and his contemporaries?

An important contributor of Yorkshire lichen records to both English Botany and
Botanist’s Guide was William Brunton (1775-1806) of Ripon; it is sad that so little
biographical information is available on such a key figure, since his records (e.g. Lees
1888), particularly from the Studley Park area, are of major importance in evaluating
Yorkshire habitats at the turn of the last century. Complementary information on the
continuing richness of the lichen flora of that area up to the 1840s can be derived from
an appraisal of the interesting list of herbarium material collected by William Graham
Mclvor (/?. 1840s-1876) now housed at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin
(Seaward 1976). The species diversity and luxuriance of the material collected by Mclvor
would lead us to believe that there was a dramatic environmental deterioration sometime
during the period 1850-1875, due almost certainly to air pollution, deforestation and
land drainage.

Another contributor to English Botany was Jonathan Salt (1759-1810) of Sheffield, a
close friend of its illustrator James Sowerby. Although only one lichen, Lichen miniatus
(Dermatocarpon miniatum), contributed by Salt is actually illustrated (no. 593), he made
notable collections from the Sheffield area in the late 18th century, which are now
preserved in the Sheffield Museum (Hawksworth 1967).

The Rev. John Harriman (1760-1831) also contributed to English Botany at about
the same time; his important collections from Teesdale included some lichens from the
Yorkshire side of the river. Samuel Hailstone (1768-1851) was a solicitor in Bradford,
and, as well as contributing to English Botany , he supplied the plant list for Whitaker’s
History & Antiquities of Craven (1805, and subsequent editions). 83 taxa are listed (a
few of them questionable), many of the records being unlocalized within a relatively
large area stretching from Yokenthwaite in the north to Bingley in the south, and from
Slaidburn in the west to Appletreewick in the east; localized records are mainly from
Malham and Bingley. Although records of at least two species are attributable to others,
it would appear that Hailstone was responsible for recording the large majority of those
listed (cf. Miall & Carrington 1862, Coppins & Seaward 1976).

Yorkshire records continued to be cited in British floras; the numerous editions of
William Withering’s Arrangement of British Plants (e.g. 1776, 1792, 1796, 1812)
contained lichen lists with numerous entries based on Yorkshire observations made by
Richard Richardson, James Edward Smith and others, but original data were lacking.

300 Years of Yorkshire Lichenology

James Bohler (1797-1872), a Sheffield stocking weaver, collected medicinal plants for
physicians, during the course of which he gained considerable knowledge of lichens,
greatly influenced no doubt by Richard Deakin (1808/9-1873). As a result, Bohler issued
16 fascicles of Lichenes britannici (1835-1837) consisting of 128 specimens (or drawings
by Deakin) each accompanied by a detailed text. Bohler also contributed the plant
catalogue, including 34 lichen species, to Aveling’s History of Roche Abbey (1870).

William Mudd

Yorkshire’s most gifted 19th century lichenologist was undoubtedly William Mudd (1830-
1879), who was employed as head gardener at Cleveland Lodge, Great Ayton. Here he
came under the influence of a most remarkable schoolmaster, George Dixon (1812—
1904), Superintendent of the North of England Agricultural School (later Great Ayton
School), where Mudd probably assisted in practical horticultural instruction. Dixon (Fig.
3) promoted the study of natural history at this and other Quaker schools (Anon. 1891,

FIGURE 3

George Dixon (1812-1904).

G. A. Watson 1941), paying particular attention to the importance of botany: detailed
instruction in plant taxonomy involved pupils in assembling personal pressed-plant
collections of 200 to 300 specimens, each classified according to a Handbook prepared
by Dixon (1845). The specially-prepared herbarium labels for this work were adopted
by Mudd for his lichen collections (Fig. 4). Dixon also established ‘The Cleveland
Natural History Supply Depot’ at Great Ayton, from which books and apparatus, much
of it of his own invention (e.g. Dixon’s Patent Plant Press), were supplied to ‘working
men, young students, natural history classes and home students for the successful study
of botany, entomology and conchology at the least possible cost’.

300 Years of Yorkshire Lichenology

Dixon was instrumental in encouraging Mudd to join a newly-formed Botanical Class
in Great Ay ton, and can almost certainly be credited with broadening Mudd’s botanical
horizons, probably instructing him in microscopy, and thereby arousing his interest in
lichens. In only a very few years, Mudd had become an acknowledged expert, correspon-
ding with many of the leading lichenologists at home and abroad; his first published
paper (Mudd 1854) is an account of the remarkable lichens of the Cleveland area, which
would clearly have been an inspiration for any student of lichenology. Although a few

Example of herbarium label used by George Dixon and William Mudd.

of the localities, e.g. Oggeray Gill, cannot be identified today, it is clear that many of
the lichens such as Lobaria and Nephroma have long since disappeared from the area.

After less than ten years of study, Mudd had acquired sufficient expertise in his chosen
hobby to write a Manual (1861), the first reasonably comprehensive and practical British
lichen flora, which followed the example of European lichenologists in recognizing the
value of microscopic examination of spores for lichen classification and identification.
He also prepared an exsiccata, Lichenum britannicorum (1861a), of three fascicles
containing 301 specimens, to accompany his Manual. Much of the information used in
the compilation of the Manual and many of the specimens contained in the exsiccata
resulted from his observations and collections of Cleveland lichens. The distinctive
specimen packets (e.g. Fig. 4), bearing his or Dixon’s name as the collector, are to be
found in herbaria all over the world; major collections of Mudd material are now housed
in the British Museum (Natural History) and the Falconer Museum at Forres, Scotland.

Mudd’s boundless enthusiasm for lichenology at this time is illustrated by Smith (1885)
in his account of a botanical excursion to Teesdale:

... all day long [Mudd] was busy chipping off fragments of lichen-covered
rock, which were duly deposited in bags slung round his person; when the other
gentlemen [J. G. Baker, W. Foggitt, J. Watson] retired for the night, they left
Mr. Mudd still chipping and dressing his specimens, and in the morning as soon
as they awoke, they heard the chip of Mr. Mudd’s hammer already at work.
After breakfast, they walked over Swinhope Fell and caught the morning coach
at Westgate for Frosterley, which was then the terminus of the line; on arriving
at the station, Mr. Mudd’s bags were overhauled by one of the porters, who said
Mr. Mudd would have to pay for ‘excess luggage’; the party protested against

300 Years of Yorkshire Lichenology

this, and said it was impossible that the bags could be heavy, as Mr. Mudd had
carried them from the High Force over Swinhope to Westgate; however, the load
was placed on the scales, and it weighed over 8 stones.

It would appear that Mudd had carried this load over uneven and rugged moorland
roads, with a rise and fall of approximately 1800 feet, over a distance of ten or more
miles!

In 1864, Mudd’s reputation was such that he was appointed as the Curator of
Cambridge University Botanic Garden. Unfortunately, this did not prove an entirely
happy move, and apart from issuing an exsiccata of British Cladoniae (1865), his
lichenological activities came to an end soon after his arrival at Cambridge. According

FIGURE 5

William Mudd (1830-1879), aged about 46, then Curator of the Cambridge Botanic
Garden. Detail of photograph in Walters (1981) reproduced by kind permission of
Cambridge University Press.

to Walters (1981), his ‘early promise seemed to come to nothing in Cambridge’! The
difficulty may have been partly caused by his state of health, which had apparently been
seriously affected by his overwork at microscopy of lichens before he took the Cambridge
post; it seems likely, however, that he found the atmosphere of the University and his
social position in town and University so alien to his experience that he could make
little of it . . . The Victorian explorer Alfred Maudslay records how in 1868 he went to
Cambridge to take the Natural Science Tripos, where he was coached in Botany by
Mudd, ‘an illiterate Scotchman [sic] who smoked very strong tobacco and smelt strongly
of whisky’. Apparently Mudd thought little of Darwinism, and gave it as his opinion
that ‘that man Darwin will go to Hell’. According to an obituary in The Cambridge
Chronicle (26/4/1879, p. 4), Mudd ‘added to his income by instructing pupils studying
for the Natural Science Tripos and the special examination in Botany, and was a great
favourite of the younger members of the University’. After Mudd’s time it was understood
that the Curator should not do private coaching.

Mudd remains a shadowy figure: of his early life we know nothing, but according to

300 Years of Yorkshire Lichenology

Johnson (1903), when about forty years of age he was ‘a tall man, well-built and bony,
but thin; his complexion was dark, his hair long and black’ (Fig. 5). ‘He was of a
nervous, active temperament, with strong religious susceptibilities, and, as all such
natures are, subject to melancholy and depression.’ J. G. Baker (see below), Mudd’s
obituarist in The Gardeners’ Chronicle (3/5/1879, pp. 558-559), wrote ‘If any one will
look through this [ Manual of British Lichens ], remembering that it is the production of
a man who had to educate himself after reaching mature life, and who at the time that
he was engaged upon it was working hard with his hands for twelve hours a-day, and
keeping a wife and family upon a wage of something like 25s. a-week, he will see that
the book is really a wonderful monument of energy and perseverance ... He worked
most diligently for many years when placed in circumstances where he had very few
advantages, and his friends hoped for great things from him when he transferred to a
more favourable position [Cambridge] — a hope that now can never be realized’.
Fragmentary biographical information on Mudd can be obtained from numerous sources
(e.g. Johnson 1903, Elgee 1910-1911, Hawksworth & Seaward 1977, Walters 1981); a
more detailed study of his life and work is currently being compiled by this author.

Yorkshire Floras

As a result of Mudd’s labours, the number of lichen species known from Yorkshire rose
from about 300 in 1850 to more than 480 by 1862, the year that Miall and Carrington
published their Flora of the West Riding. The latter work contains a lichen section
compiled by Benjamin Carrington listing about 204 species, a large proportion of which
are attributable to the many above-named botanists, but references are also made for
the first time in connection with Yorkshire lichens to numerous other observers and
collectors, such as John Gilbert Baker (1834-1920), Benjamin Carrington (1827-1893),
Samuel Gibson (1789/90-1894), Louis Compton Miall (1842-1921), John Nowell (1802-
1867), Richard Spruce (1817-1893), Abraham Stansfield (1802-1880), John Windsor
(1787-1868), and others (I. Brown, G. Pinder, S. Slinger) for whom biographical details
are lacking; most of these names recur in subsequent lichen lists and floras (e.g. Lees
1888, Watson 1946), but only a few of them are worthy of particular mention here.
Lichens collected by Carrington from Yorkshire (cf. W. Watson 1941, pp. 33-34) are
now housed in the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.

J. G. Baker, a highly active botanist living at Thirsk at that time (Allen 1986), was
responsible for a major work on North Yorkshire (1863) which includes a lichen section;
he also made several minor contributions to the county’s lichenology, including the
botany section of the Victoria History (1907). The lichen collection housed at the
Yorkshire Museum (see above) contains material collected by Baker, and in all proba-
bility it was for a time in his possession (Coppins & Seaward 1976). A. Stansfield and
J. Nowell are best known for their Flora of Todmorden\ it contains a lichen section with
south-west Yorkshire records and was published posthumously in 1911. Unfortunately,
herbaria at Todmorden and Halifax, which contained lichen material collected by A.
Stansfield, J. Nowell, S. Gibson and others, have been lost. Lichen records of these
botanists, together with those of James Needham (1849-1913), Thomas Stansfield
(c. 1826-1879) and Henry Thomas Soppitt (1858-1899) and several others mentioned
earlier, including James Bolton, are incorporated into Crump and Crossland’s Flora of
Halifax (1904).

Richard Spruce’s contribution to Yorkshire lichenology in terms of published and
herbarium material is minimal. However, it is hard to imagine that this great cryptogamic
botanist, who, after all, had been responsible for assembling material for lichen exsiccatae
from his South American travels (Sayre 1975), was not involved in some way with
Yorkshire lichenology during his later residence there (1864 to 1893).

J. Windsor, a Manchester surgeon born in Settle, treated in some detail the lichens
of the Craven area, the work. Flora Cravoniensis , being published posthumously in
1873; his herbarium is now housed in the Manchester University Museum.

Apparently the celebrated lichenologist William Lauder Lindsay (1829-1880) paid a

300 Years of Yorkshire Lichenology

visit to Yorkshire in 1859; he visited Clapham in the company of Carrington (see above).
His lichen collections, including his Yorkshire material, are now at the Royal Botanic
Garden, Edinburgh.

Clubs, Collections and Catalogues

William Johnson (1844-1919) of Halifax spent part of his life as a Methodist minister
in Yorkshire and died in Harrogate. He published numerous papers on north of England
lichens (Hawksworth & Seaward 1977), and built up extensive lichen collections, an
important one of which, now housed in the Department of Plant Sciences at Leeds
University, includes 69 packets from Yorkshire and 26 unlocalized gatherings from
Teesdale (Seaward 1972). He also issued an important exsiccata, The North of England
Lichen-Herbarium (1894-1918), of 13 fascicles containing in total 520 specimens, some
of which were collected from Yorkshire. According to Gilbert (1980), he was drawn to
the study of lichens as a result of hunting for second-hand books in Newcastle upon
Tyne one Saturday evening in the mid-1870s when he picked up a copy of Lindsay’s
Popular History of British Lichens (1856). Johnson, in selecting a title which remains
to this day a charming introduction to the subject, could have made no happier choice.
How many other such examples of serendipity have influenced the course of lichenology?

The foremost Yorkshire botanist from the 1870s through to the early 20th century
was Frederic Arnold Lees (1847-1921) of Leeds, a medical practitioner; although he
wrote extensively on Yorkshire botany (Seaward 1978), only a few of his contributions
include information on lichens (Hawksworth & Seaward 1977), notably his Flora of West
Yorkshire (1888) which lists approximately 260 species. From 1873 to 1886, the Botanical
Locality Record Club, spurred on by Lees’ enthusiasm, accumulated records and
exchanged specimens. The Club included lichens in its terms of reference; although they
did not figure largely, lichen specimens in the Club’s distinctive packets are occasionally
to be encountered in herbaria. Lees’ plant collecting was prodigious, his herbarium at
Bradford Museum alone containing about 20,000 vascular and 4,000 non-vascular plants;
the latter include a considerable number of Yorkshire lichens, many of them coinciding
with the records published in his Flora.

Watson (1946) accepted Lees’ determinations en bloc , obviously not having personally
examined the lichens in the Bradford Museum herbarium; subsequent examination of
the collection has shown there to be some incorrect identifications of critical material
and a significant number of additions to the Flora (Seaward 1970). Furthermore, other
material collected outside the area defined by the Flora , if examined, would have
furnished useful data for Watson’s Lichen Flora (1946) and Census Catalogue (1953): a
few lichens collected (c. 1880) from the Rivelin Valley, Sheffield by Amos Carr
(c. 1829-1884), a postman and shoemaker, are worthy of mention, but of particular
interest are the collections made by William West (1848-1914), a pharmaceutical chemist
and lecturer in botany at Bradford Technical College, who specialized in cryptpgamic
plants. West’s lichen material is to be found in several British herbaria, particularly the
Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. Another botanist with an interest in crytogams was
Henry Franklin Parsons (1846^1913), a medical practitioner who became Medical Officer
of Health for Goole in the 1870s; he contributed to Lees’ Flora , and his lichens are
occasionally to be found in herbaria, but the lichen content (if any) of his major plant
collection at Croydon has yet to be investigated.

Although Lees, West, Parsons and others in the 1870s and 1880s did not add
significantly to the number of species known from Yorkshire (see Fig. 1), they consider-
ably extended our knowledge of the ecology and distribution of lichens in the county.
The next few decades were lean years for lichenology, both locally and nationally
(Seaward 1987).

The lichenologist Joseph Anthony Martindale (1837-1914) is better known for his
work and publications on the Westmorland lichen flora, but he also collected in north-
west Yorkshire in the 1880s; his lichens are now housed in Kendal Museum.

300 Years of Yorkshire Lichenology

Little is known of Abraham Shackleton (1830-1916), and his lichens, and perhaps
those of his father (or other member of the family), now in the Keighley Museum, have
yet to be fully investigated. However, he wrote on lichenology, including two papers in
conjunction with Thomas Hebden (1849-1931), a Keighley neighbour, who came to
share his interest in lichens. Hebden took early retirement from his position as director
of a powerloom firm, devoting himself entirely to his hobby. He corresponded with
leading British and foreign lichenologists, and was much respected by his contemporaries;
his small output of published work does not reveal the true extent of his influence
(Hebden 1916, 1916a, Shackleton & Hebden 1892, 1893). The results of some of his
extensive lichenological activities in the Keighley area are embodied in Rotheray’s Flora
of Skipton (1900) and further local records are to be found in Seaward (1971). Hebden
acted as referee for the British Museum and as Distributor for the Lichen Exchange
Club of the British Isles, which functioned from 1907 to 1914; the Exchange Club reports
include references to Yorkshire, and specimens, including Yorkshire material, bear a
characteristic mauve impression of an oval rubber stamp on their packets (Hawksworth
& Seaward 1977). Hebden accumulated an extensive library and herbarium, the contents
of which are listed by Seaward (1971); the collection, now housed at Keighley Museum,
awaits a more detailed investigation.

The late 19th century was an extremely active period in the history of British
lichenology generally, due, in no small measure, to the dedicated work of James Morrison
Crombie (1831-1906) and William Allport Leighton (1805-1889) whose published works
(e.g. Crombie 1870, 1894, Leighton 1871, 1872, 1879) added very considerably to our
knowledge. The second volume of Crombie’s Monograph (1911) was completed by
Annie Lorrain Smith (1854-1937), under whose name it was published; she subsequently
revised both volumes (Smith 1918, 1926). All these works contain Yorkshire site details
based on the work of collectors and lichenologists mentioned above, and in the case of
the four Monographs , based entirely on herbarium material in the British Museum
(Natural History).

Other notable cryptogamic botanists known to have collected lichens from Yorkshire
during the first few decades of the present century were Edward Morell Holmes ( 1 843—
1930), Daniel Angell Jones (1862-1949), Henry Herbert Knight (1862-1944) and Albert
Wilson (1862-1949), whose contributions were particularly valuable at a time when
British lichenology was in decline (Hawksworth & Seaward 1977): they contributed
papers of local interest (e.g. Jones 1925, Knight 1931, Wilson 1922, 1924) and their
Yorkshire lichen material is to be found in herbaria scattered throughout the British
Isles. Their efforts are recognized in terms of their contributions to Watson’s Lichen
Flora (1946) and Census Catalogue (1953) — see below.

During the same period, several Yorkshire botanists, such as William Holmes Burrell
(1865-1945) and Christopher Arthington Cheetham (1875-1954), showed some interest
in lichenology, and details of lichens observed at Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union field
meetings were duly reported in The Naturalist by William Harold Pearsall (1891-1964),
Francis Arnold Mason (c. 1878-1936) and others. However, the major county-based
contributor to Yorkshire lichenology at this time was William Edward Locking Wattam
(1872-1953), a solicitor’s clerk in Huddersfield. For eleven years Wattam had been a
student of Thomas William Woodhead (1863-1940), a lecturer at Huddersfield Technical
College and a pioneer of British ecology, who no doubt aroused his interest in lichens.
Wattam’s publications, mainly reports of field meetings, span 42 years. His obituarist
in The Naturalist (1953, pp. 141-142) records his ‘devotion and enthusiasm to natural
history’, but indicates that he was ‘never primarily a taxonomist’, an opinion confirmed
by examination of his herbarium material, now in the Tolson Museum, Huddersfield.
Although his numerous publications should be treated with some degree of caution in
view of this taxonomic weakness, we are indebted to Wattam for keeping lichenology
alive in Yorkshire for four decades.

One of the key figures in British lichenology over a period of more than 35 years was
Walter Watson (1872-1960), a Somerset schoolmaster. His lichenology being largely

300 Years of Yorkshire Lichenology

self-taught, many of his early collections of lichens were sent to Hebden for critical
study. Watson published a series of notable ecological papers on the lichens and
bryophytes of particular habitats, and numerous others mainly concerned with the
taxonomy and distribution of lichens. He also re-examined the British collections in the
Edinburgh herbarium, which contain important Yorkshire material (e.g. Watson 1939,
1942), compiled a Lichen Flora of Yorkshire (1946), and amassed distributional data on
a vice-county basis for a Census Catalogue of British Lichens (1953). He was President
of the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union and his address (Watson 1941) ‘On Yorkshire
associations, lichenological or otherwise’ given at Bradford on 7 December 1940 contains
material complementary to this paper.

In consequence of Watson’s (1946) researches (mainly bibliographical and herbarium)
on Yorkshire lichenology, the number of species recorded from the county increased to
c. 555 (Fig. 1), about three-quarters of which, interestingly, had been recorded by
William Mudd from the Cleveland area alone nearly ninety years earlier. Watson’s
Census Catalogue (1953) records c. 580 species from the county, when translated into
modern nomenclature. Researches by the present author, particularly in respect of
herbarium collections (e.g. Seaward 1976), have shown that a figure of c. 605 would be
a reasonably accurate assessment of the state of knowledge by the 1940s.

Two other published floras, for the Scarborough and Halifax districts by Walsh and
Rimington (1953) and Watling (1967) respectively, include lichen sections, but these
apart, lichenology in Yorkshire stood still for a period of twenty years.

Renaissance and Recent Developments

With the establishment of the British Lichen Society in 1958, there has been an increase
in interest in the subject unequalled since the last quarter of the 19th century. The
availability of aids to lichen identification and the provision of field courses since 1958
have also been instrumental in encouraging this revival. The advancement of licheno-
logical knowledge for Yorkshire has mirrored that at national level: for nearly thirty
years county-based and visiting lichenologists have been responsible not only for
increasing the tally of species known to occur in the county (Fig. 1) but also for
considerably extending our knowledge of lichen ecology and geography, and thereby
our understanding of Yorkshire habitats, since these plants are valuable monitors of
environmental stability and change.

For the past three decades Malham Tarn Field Centre has provided a focus for
lichenological activities in the county: lichen courses run by A. E. Wade, P. W. James,
O. L. Gilbert and M. R. D. Seaward have stimulated local interest and recording, and
the Centre has proved an excellent base from which to research lichens (e.g. Sinker
1960, Raistrick & Gilbert 1963, Jaggard et al. 1974).

Several British Lichen Society field meetings have been partially or wholly based in
Yorkshire, although the findings of only two of them, those held in the Richmond and
Hebden Valley areas, have been published in detail (Coppins 1972, Earland-Bennett &
Seaward 1974). In addition, the reporting of lichens recorded during Yorkshire Natur-
alists’ Union excursions has been revived, and since 1971 information has appeared
fairly regularly in The Naturalist.

Since its creation in 1963, the national mapping programme of the British Lichen
Society has also provided a stimulus for Yorkshire lichenology. County records on a
10 km x 10 km grid basis are stored within the national database housed in the University
of Bradford Computer Centre: the present extent of Yorkshire distributional data, as
determined by past and recent records currently held in the computer, is given in
Figures 6a and 6b. Contributors to this mapping scheme are far too numerous to mention
them all individually; however, the following recorders have been particularly active:
B. J. Coppins, P. M. Earland-Bennett, B. W. Fox, A. Fryday, O. L. Gilbert, G. G.
Graham, A. Henderson, C. J. B. Hitch, P. W. James, F. Rose, M. R. D. Seaward,
D. H. Smith, P. R. Stewart, T. D. V. Swinscow and A. E. Wade. Their field data have
been used for site analyses, air pollution monitoring studies, distribution maps published

300 Years of Yorkshire Lichenology

FIGURE 6

Number of lichen taxa recorded from each Yorkshire 10 km x 10 km grid square: a —
all records; b — post-1960 records only. (NB. Border squares may contain records
pertaining to the neighbouring county.)

300 Years of Yorkshire Lichenology

periodically in The Lichenologist, Atlases (Seaward & Hitch 1982, Seaward 1985) and
other publications, particularly taxonomic studies (e.g. Earland-Bennett 1975, Gilbert
et al. 1981).

With the exception of air pollution and urban studies, recent ecological investigations
on Yorkshire lichens, other than a single paper by Gilbert (1984) and those concerned
with the Malham area (see above), have rarely appeared in print. However, since 1967
a large corpus of information on the ecology and performance of lichens in urban areas
has been derived from studies centred upon the West Yorkshire conurbation; major
aspects of this work appeared in the first instance in the form of a flora (Seaward 1975)
and an autecological study of Lecanora muralis (Seaward 1976a). A considerable number
of papers relating to air pollution monitoring by means of lichens has resulted from
these studies; in addition, regularly published supplements to the flora (Seaward 1978a,
1981, Seaward & Henderson 1984), makes this conurbation one of the most intensively
studied of all urban areas from a lichenological point of view.

By 1986, the Yorkshire lichen flora could be summarized as follows: 755 taxa (733
species, 7 subspecies, 11 varieties and 4 forms) have been recorded from the county
over the past 300 years (Fig. 1), of which 223 are based on old records, the great
majority presumed extinct since they have not been seen for a century or more; of the
532 extant taxa, approximately 150 have been discovered during the past thirty years.
Notable extinctions include the genera Nephroma , Parmeliella, Sticta and Teloschistes
and several species of each of the genera Collema, Lecanactis, Leptogium , Lobaria,
Rinodina and Usnea.

Although numerous other lichens remain to be discovered in Yorkshire, particularly
the more inconspicuous taxa, and many areas require further study (cf. Fig. 6b) before
a clearer picture of the distribution and ecology of certain lichens emerges, nevertheless
we will soon have sufficient data on which to base a new Yorkshire lichen flora. Research
and publications resulting in detailed lists, floras, time-space analyses and other critical
appraisals of changes in status of lichens are to be encouraged since these remarkably
sensitive plants can be used to reveal even minor environmental disturbances including
those which are so often brought about by man’s activities.

Lichens still exert as strong a fascination on those who study them today as they did
over a century and a half ago for the nature poet John Clare:

But he the man of science and of taste
Sees wealth far richer in the worthless waste
Where bits of lichen and a sprig of moss
Will all the raptures of his mind engross.

Acknowledgements

Space does not permit me to mention the many friends and colleagues who have helped
and encouraged me in the pursuance of twenty-five years of lichenizing: to those whose
company I have shared in field and laboratory, to those who have given or loaned lichen
material and publications, and to those who have shown me so many favours, I extend
my warmest thanks. I also take this opportunity of thanking the Yorkshire Naturalists’
Union for honouring me with their Presidency, the Brotherton Library of the University
of Leeds for access to valuable archival material and books, and Cambridge University
Press for permission to reproduce Figure 5 and Mr S. Davidson for his help in the
preparation of Figures 1 and 6.

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ASPECTS OF THE LIFE HISTORY OF UNIONICOLA YPSILOPHORA
(Bonz 1783), A FRESHWATER MITE LIVING IN THE SWAN MUSSEL,
ANODONTA CYGNEA (L.)

R. A. BAKER

Centre for Combined Studies and Department of Pure and Applied Zoology,
University of Leeds

Introduction

Unionicola ypsilophora (Bonz 1783) is one of two common resident species of Unionicolid
mite found in mussels in Europe. As far as it is known it has only recently been recorded
in Yorkshire (Baker 1987) but Mitchell and Pitchford (1953) give several localities where
it occurs in the North of England along with U. intermedia (Koenike 1882), the other
resident species reported in Yorkshire (Baker 1976). This family of freshwater mites is
unique in being found in both molluscs and sponges. There are both resident and
transient species. Resident species are defined as those in which the nymphal and adult
stages are found in their hosts whereas transient species spend only their resting stages
in the host. Resting stages occur between the larval stage and nymph and between
nymph and adult, described variously as the nymphochrysalis or post-larval resting stage
I and the teleiochrysalis or postlarval resting stage II. The larval stage of Unionicolids
has been recorded from midges.

The life cycles of several species have been studied. Mitchell (1965) worked on U.
fossulata (Koenike 1895), Crowell and Davids (1979) on the sponge inhabiting mites U.
crassipes (Muller 1776) and U. minor (Soar 1900), and Gordon et al. (1979) on U.
formosa (Dana and Whelpley 1830), a species believed to be very closely related to U.
ypsilophora. The most thorough account to date deals with the same species in North
America (Dimock 1985).

Previous studies have largely ignored nymphs. Baker (1987) has, however, recently
reported large numbers of nymphs in Anodonta cygnea (L.) Little information is available
on seasonality in European adult forms apart from the work of Hevers (1980) in the
species occurring in Germany.

The present paper describes the results obtained from monthly samples of A. cygnea
collected throughout the year. It discusses the seasonal dynamics of U. ypsilophora ,
records observations of the fecundity, age and the numbers and incidence of the active
stages of this species in its molluscan host.

Materials and Methods

Monthly samples of Anodonta were collected from May 1985 to May 1986, using a hand
grab, from the upper lake at Roundhay Park in Leeds. The lake is approximately two
acres in area, four feet in depth at its deepest point and constructed of quarried stone.
The molluscs were opened on return to the laboratory by cutting through the adductor
muscles and examined under a binocular microscope. All the active nymphs and adults
were removed and preserved in Koenike’s fluid for subsequent examination. The presence
or absence of eggs from both gill and mantle tissue was recorded. Temporary preparations
were made of the active stages using lactic acid and Faures medium was used for
permanent mounts. Samples of nymphs from different mussels in each monthly collection
were mounted to check their identification using the key of Hevers (1979). Every adult
mite was examined in order to identify (Hevers 1978) sex and to determine the
approximate age of the females. Due to the lake freezing no sample was obtained in
February. Two samples were therefore taken in both early and late March.

Observations

A total of nearly 2,000 active stages of U. ypsilophora have been collected and examined
from 152 mussels, made up of 698 adults and 1,273 nymphs.

Naturalist 112 (1987)

54 Aspects of the Life History o/Unionicola ypsilophora

The eggs of U. ypsilophora are laid in the outer lamellae of the gills of A. cygnea.
Eggs were also occasionally observed in the mantle but were found to belong to a
transient species, U. aculeata (Koenike 1890). Verification of this was obtained by
maintaining eggs under laboratory conditions until they hatched and identifying the
larval stage. Several workers have recorded larvae attached to midges but free swimming
larvae are rarely found in mussel hosts under natural conditions. It is widely accepted
that larvae on hatching leave the mussel and seek out midge pupae to which they attach.
Larvae thus act as the distributive stage in the life cycle.

Nymphs of U. ypsilophora vary considerably in size, and probably represent young
unfed and older engorged nymphs. A significant number of larger nymphs were green
in colour, indicating the likelihood of an algal diet. Nymphal mites were found between
the gill lamellae. The mean number per host was 8.38 (± 0.71). Monthly collections
indicate very few nymphs in the summer months with a nymphal peak in the winter
(Fig. 1). In the spring, the numbers roughly equal the number of adults found; from

60 H
i

50 H

BIVALVE

FIGURE 1

Seasonal variation in the number of nymphs of U. ypsilophora in each A. cygnea.

June to August only 10 nymphs were collected from 35 mussels but during the months
October to January their numbers far exceed the numbers of adults. Nymphal mites
were found in all mussels collected during eight months of the year (September 1985 to
April 1986). Table 1 shows the percentage incidence of infection. No nymphs were
found in any of the mussels collected in July and there was only a 27 per cent incidence
in August.

Males and ovigerous females, 94 per cent of all females recovered, are found
throughout the year. It is possible to age females by their size, colour and the presence
or absence of eggs. Pigmentation increases with age, the oldest females being black.
Three main types have been recognized but some females are difficult to categorize,
appearing to be intermediate stages. Small transparaent females (see Table 2 for
measurements) without eggs and lacking pigment appear in the population in spring,
reaching a peak in August (28 per cent). These are young females in which the ovaries

Aspects of the Life History o/Unionicola ypsilophora

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56 Aspects of the Life History of Unionicola ypsilophora

have not ripened. Peak numbers of large black females are found in the spring, forming
50 per cent of the adult females in April. These are the oldest females. Medium sized
brown ovigerous females are the most commonly found and their period of maximum
abundance occurs from September to January.

Statistical analysis of the monthly collections demonstrates a highly significant month
to month variation in both the average number of nymphs (0.01 per cent) and females
(1 per cent) per bivalve, but not in males. 74 per cent of the mussels were infected with
male and 95 per cent with female U. ypsilophora. Incidence of infection between May

TABLE 2

Measurements of the idiosoma of nymphs and females of U. ypsilophora

Length (fxm)

Breadth (fxm)

Nymphs

Average (n=6)

large

804

449

Average (n=6)

small

537

238

Minimum

442

195

Maximum

845

520

Adults

Average (n=7)

small, unripe

1281

674

Minimum

1150

552

Maximum

1427

805

Average (n=9)

medium, ovigerous

1602

992

Minimum

1449

805

Maximum

1725

1150

Average (n=9)

large, black

1781

1109

Minimum

1610

1035

Maximum

1840

1219

1985 and May 1986 for males and females is shown in Table 1. The percentage incidence
is fairly constant for females and more variable for males. The mean number of female
mites per host was 3.82 (± 0.20) out of a total of 580 females examined. Few hosts had
more than seven females, but in one mussel fourteen females were found. 115 mussels
contained a single male, 36 had no male and only one mussel had more than one male.
The mean number of males per host was 0.78 (± 0.04).

Discussion

It is now widely recognized that the sex ratios of Unionicolid mites are highly skewed.
Males are underdispersed and normally a single male is found per host (Mitchell 1965,
Davids 1973, Gordon et al. 1979, Dimock 1985).

Previous authors have recorded large differences in the abundance of adult Unionico-
lids per host. Local factors such as the physical and chemical nature of the body of
water may be important in determining these differences. Geographical location, host
size and population are cited by Dimock (1985) as factors which might affect the density
of U. formosa in its host. Dimock records as many as 78 female: one male in A. imbecillis
and 52:1 in A. cataracta in North Carolina, U.S.A., figures far higher than those
observed for U. ypsilophora in the present study. Unlike females, the male mites were
uniformly distributed with a mean density of 0.78 ± 0.04 SE, a figure which relates closely
to the findings of Dimock (0.99 ± 0.01 SE).

Seasonal variations in the number of U. ypsilophora adults per mussel and recruitment
into the population provide results which largely confirm the findings of Dimock (1985).
Significant seasonal differences have been demonstrated in female numbers per host but
not in males of U. ypsilophora. Gordon et al. (1979) detected no such seasonal differences
in U. formosa.

Aspects of the Life History of Unionicola ypsilophora

The current work shows that the largest numbers of black females occur in spring,
especially in April. These form the old generation which dies off in late spring and early
summer. By August-September an average of only 9.2 per cent black females was found
compared to 50 per cent of the female population in April. Young adults without eggs
begin to appear in the population in April, reach a peak (28 per cent of the female
population) in August, dropping to 3 per cent in September. It appears that a switch
from the old to the new generation starts in the spring: old females die and the new
generation is established in the warmest months of the year. The adults mature quickly
to form brown ovigerous females which overwinter. The large black females, believed
to be the oldest, have probably survived through two winters.

The data obtained for nymphs shows significant seasonal variations in host loadings
with a winter peak and very few nymphs in the summer months. Their numbers are
such that they form the dominant stage in the life cycle for eight months of the year,
overwinter chiefly in the form of nymphs and for much of this time far outweigh the
number of adults in the population. Assuming nymphs remain in their host, there is a
significant loss between the nymph and adult stage. However, the currently available
data on Unionicolid nymphs is contradictory and further work is needed. Gordon et al.
(1979) noted small numbers throughout their study, always substantially smaller numbers
than the adults, with the absence of nymphs from two samples in July. Mitchell (1965)
by contrast described a nymphal peak in July, a month when in the present study no
nymphs were found. Crowell and Davids (1979) recorded no nymphs in late November
and December whereas nymphs were predominant in the present study from October
to January. Finally, Dimock (1985) found nymphs throughout the year with both summer
and winter maxima and far fewer nymphs per host when compared with the present
study.

Although post-larval resting stages were not observed in A. cygnea, it is generally
believed that these occur within mussels in resident species and that nymphs once
hatched remain in the host. Hevers (1980), working on U. ypsilophora and U. intermedia ,
states that resident species remain inside the mussel after hatching and in the case of
U. ypsilophora , post-larval resting stages are found in the mantle of the host. According
to Gordon et al. (1979), the situation is different in U. formosa , since these authors
state that the nymphochrysalis (post-larval resting stage I) occurs outside the host and
nymphs then re-invade. The evidence for this is based partly on the relatively small
numbers of nymphs found. The large numbers of nymphs found in the present study
suggest evidence in favour of nymphs remaining in the host, at least in the colder
months, but the fact that post-larval resting stages I and II were not found in the mantle,
as Hevers (1980) records occurs in U. ypsilophora, is puzzling. Preliminary evidence
reported elsewhere (Baker 1987) does indicate that female U. ypsilophora can recolonize
mussels if artificially removed.

As was pointed out by Jones and Baker (1984), single mussels may contain more than
onq species of Unionicolid. Even if only one adult species is recorded, the eggs and
resting stages of more than one species are commonly found. Hatching of eggs in the
laboratory is essential in order to determine which and how many species are found if
valid conclusions are to be drawn. Gordon et al. (1979) recorded eggs in the mantle of
A. cataracta and assigned them to U. formosa. Eggs found in the mantle of A. cygnea
have been shown to belong to the transient species U. aculeata , the resident species U.
ypsilophora laying eggs in the gill tissue.

Summary

Eggs of U. ypsilophora are laid in the gills of A. cygnea. Eggs of a transient species,
U. aculeata are found in the mantle. Post-larval resting stages I and II of U. ypsilophora
were not observed in the mantle. Nymphs collected throughout the year from A. cygnea
showed very small numbers in June, July and August but large numbers in the winter
months, with a peak in October-November. Significant seasonal variations in the average
of females and nymphs per host were recorded. Males and ovigerous females, aged

Aspects of the Life History of Unionicola ypsilophora

according to pigmentation and size, occurred throughout the year and 94 per cent of
females carried eggs. Immature females were most commonly found in August, the
oldest females from March to April. The loss of the old female generations is followed
by the development of a new generation, the overlap occurring in the late spring and
summer months.

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to Dr D. N. Joanes from the University of Leeds for help with the
statistics, to Dr J. Hevers who confirmed my identification of the larvae and to the City
of Leeds Leisure Services for permission to collect samples of A. cygnea from Roundhay
Park. I also acknowledge the help given by Peter Broughton and Stuart Pickersgill in
collecting the molluscs.

References

Baker, R. A. (1976) Tissue damage and leukocytic infiltration following attachment of
the mite Unionicola intermedia to the gills of the bivalve mollusc Anodonta anatina.
J. Invertebr. Pathol. 27: 371-376.

Baker, R. A. (1987). Recent work on Unionicolid mites parasitic in freshwater bivalve
molluscs. VII International Congress of Acarology, Bangalore, India (In press).
Crowell, R. M. and Davids, C. (1979) The developmental cycle of sponge associated
water mites. In Rodriguez, J. G. (ed.) Recent Advances in Acarology 1: 563-566.
Academic Press, London.

Davids, C. (1973) The relations between mites of the genus Unionicola and the mussels
Anodonta and Unio. Hydrobiologia 41: 37-44.

Dimock, R. V. (1983) In defense of the harem: Intraspecific aggression by male water
mites (Acari: Unionicolidae). Ann. ent. Soc. Am. 76: 463-465.

Dimock, R.V. (1985). Population dynamics of Unionicola formosa (Acari:
Unionicolidae), a water mite with a harem. Amer. Midi. Nat. 114: 168-179.

Gordon, M. J., Swan, B. K. and Paterson, C. G. (1979) The biology of Unionicola
formosa (Dana and Whelpley): a water mite parasitic in the unionid bivalve,
Anodonta cataracta (Say), in a New Brunswick lake. Can. J. Zool. 57: 1748-1756.
Hevers, J. (1979) Morphologie und Systematik der Nymphen der Unionicola- Alien
(Hydrachnellae, Acari) Deutschlands. Osnabriicker naturw. Mitt. 6: 73-92.

Hevers, J. (1980) Biologisch-okologische Untersuchungen zum Entwicklungszyklus der in
Deutschland auftretenden Unionicola-Arten (Hydrachellae, Acari). Arch. Hydrobiol.
Suppl. 3: 324-373.

Jones, R. K. H. and Baker, R. A. (1984) Descriptions of unionicolid larvae from three
North American unionid bivalves. Hydrobiologia 114: 109-113.

Mitchell, R. D. and Pitchford, G. W. (1953) On mites parasitizing Anodonta in England.
J. Conch. Lond. 23: 365-370.

Mitchell, R. (1965) Population regulation of a water mite parasitic on Unionid mussels.
J. Parasitol. 51: 990-996.

BOOK REVIEW

Pocket Guide to the Birds of Ireland by Gordon D’Arcy. Pp. 75, with full-colour
illustrations. Appletree Press, Belfast. 1986. £3.50, plastic covers.

A quick flick through the pages will enable identification of over 120 birds from sea,
estuaries, fields and gardens. Each coloured illustration is accompanied by a concise
description of the bird’s characteristics and call, though no indication is given of the
distribution of the different species. This small, conveniently-shaped pocket-book is
ideal for any visitor to Ireland, and in addition would be most useful for those starting
to birdwatch anywhere in the British Isles.

DHSR

DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF THE STARFISH
ASTERIAS RUBENS L. ON AN INTERTIDAL MUSSEL BED
IN MORECAMBE BAY, LANCASHIRE, 1954-85,

WITH OBSERVATIONS ON BIRD PREDATION

DAVID JONES

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Lancaster, Bailrigg, Lancaster,

LAI 4YQ

Introduction

Asterias rubens L. has been reported as aggregating seasonally, but irregularly, on beds
of mussels, Mytilus edulis L. (Sloan & Aldridge 1981, Dare 1982). This paper describes
the distribution and abundance of two size groups of A. rubens on an intertidal mussel
bed and incidence of bird predation, in 26 years between 1954 and 1985.

Study Area and Methods

The study area and methods employed have been fully described elsewhere (Jones &
Clare 1977). The mussel bed covers part of an otherwise sandy shore between Morecambe
and Heysham in the SE of Morecambe Bay (Grid Ref. SD 4163). The substrate consists
of small stones with scattered larger stones and boulders. The study area is of particular
interest since it lies only 3 km from two nuclear power stations, Heysham A and
Heysham B, which when fully operational will discharge large quantities of heated sea
water. The data reported here were obtained before any large discharge had occurred.
It is hoped that observations will continue well into the discharge period.

Initially the whole of the mussel bed down to LWS was examined, and subsequently
5 selected search paths were walked for approximately 2 hours each, the same stones,
boulders and pools being examined each month. If conditions proved unfavourable due
to mussel spat-settlement or movement of mussels or sand banks the nearest accessible
area was examined. Search paths 1 and 2 were both recorded as the high area, search
path 3 as the middle area, search path 4 as the low area, and search path 5 as LWS.
The tidal levels and vertical ranges of these areas are shown in Fig. 1.

Six arbitrary abundance categories were distinguished. For the large starfish (4 cm or
more from arm tip to centre of body): absent, rare (1-3 individuals recorded), frequent
(>3 individuals, scattered), common (small conspicuous groups), abundant (groups
covering large areas involving hundreds of starfish), and superabundant (invasions, with
extensive areas of substrate covered by thousands of starfish). These categories were
scored 0-5 respectively. The small starfish (<4 cm from arm tip to body centre) unless
abundant were found only beneath small stones and shells; for these, frequent denoted
>3 individuals, and common, using most available stones and shells.

The efficiency with which the LWS area could be searched was influenced by onshore
winds and, in winter months, many searches being made at night using a torch.
However, partial examination did not appear to affect the abundance of starfish recorded
significantly.

Results

Small specimens of A. rubens were generally found under stones and shells. However,
during years when they were abundant they were also found exposed upon the shore.
They were found on all areas: of the total number of occasions on which small individuals
were observed, 37 per cent were at LWS, 33 per cent at the low area, 17 per cent at
the middle area and 13 per cent at the high area. In contrast large specimens did not
seek shelter and were very mobile. 76 per cent of all observations occurred at LWS,
and 24 per cent at the low area.

Small specimens were generally most abundant from August to October (Fig. 2A)
although the only invasion of small starfish occurred during March and April. The total

Naturalist 112 (1987)

Asterias rubens on a Mussel Bed 1954-85

c, _

1 1 AT

M IIW'S

Mil W N

height (m)

M I I

-I-

-3

middle

low

M LWN

4-1

l.w.springs]

M L W S

-5-

1-0

LAI

O.D. CD.

FIGURE 1

Vertical ranges of search paths relative to ordnance datum (OD), chart datum (CD)
and mean tidal height based on the Admiralty data for Heysham.

Asterias rubens on a Mussel Bed 1954-85

FIGURE 2

Seasonal variations in abundance of Asterias rubens. Cumulative percentage distri-
bution based on data obtained at all shore levels over 26 years. A — starfish <4 cm
radius, B — starfish >4 cm radius.

62 Asterias rubens on a Mussel Bed 1954-85

abundance of small specimens of A. rubens was much reduced after the cold winter of
1962-63 (Fig. 3A).

Peaks of abundance of large specimens usually occurred in spring and late summer
(Fig. 2B). They were least abundant during October, November, and December.
Invasions of large A. rubens were observed from May-August 1954, July-August 1957,
and April-June 1984 (Fig. 2B). The total abundance of large specimens was also much
reduced after the cold winter of 1962-63 (Fig. 3B).

FIGURE 3

Long-term fluctuations in abundance of Asterias rubens. A — starfish <4 cm radius,

B — starfish >4 cm radius.

For key to abundance categories see Fig. 2.

In 16 of the 26 study years, recently settled small juveniles (<3 mm from disc centre
to arm tip) were recorded as rare or frequent at the low area and LWS in July, August
and September.

Most A. rubens attacked by birds were adults. The birds pecked open, or completely
removed, the arms of large A. rubens and occasionally took small starfish whole, from
evidence of regurgitation. Attacks were most frequent between February and April (Fig.
4) corresponding to the period when gonads were well developed. No bird damage was

Asterias rubens on a Mussel Bed 1954-85 63

observed between June and November 1956 to 1961 even during invasions; however,
after the cold winter of 1962-63, attacks were recorded in all months of the year.

Year

no data

Wmi

Tim

Wj '.i 'a's'o'n'd

Month

Key:-

' bird attacks

| bird attacks - ova exposed

FIGURE 4

Months when Asterias rubens were attacked by birds.

Asterias rubens on a Mussel Bed 1954-85

Discussion

It is tempting to attribute the reduction in abundance of both small and large A. rubens
after the cold winter of 1962-63 to the exceptional coldness of that winter. However,
caution is necessary since Crisp (1964) found that numbers of A. rubens did not decline
at North Wales sites after 1962, and in the present study numbers were already low in
1961. Furthermore, the unusually cold winter of 1978-79 was accompanied by only a
relatively small decline in numbers of small and large specimens.

The timing of gonad development and recruitment of juveniles on the mussel bed is
similar to that reported at other sites in Britain, Vevers (1949) finding ripe eggs from
February to the beginning of June, and Chadwick (1923) reporting that spawning in the
vicinity of Port Erin begins in about the middle of February. Recruitment to an intertidal
population of A. rubens at Hollicombe Reef (S.W. England) occurred in July 1980 and
September 1981 (Barker & Nichols 1983).

Sibly and McCleery (1983), investigating A. rubens predation by herring gulls ( Larus
argentatus Pontopp) on a mussel bed in the north of Morecambe Bay, suggested that
gulls sometimes eat only the gonads of the starfish. However, in the present study
attacks were recorded all the year round after the cold winter of 1962-63 (Fig. 4). It
appears probable that severe food shortages in and immediately after this exceptionally
hard winter, when numbers of many littoral invertebrates were reduced (Crisp 1964),
induced a change in feeding behaviour. Bird attacks appear to have little impact on
starfish numbers (Dare, pers. comm.).

Between 1968 and 1976 Dare (1982) recorded 5 invasions within the littoral zone on
a mussel bed situated on the northern side of the 16 km wide entrance to Morecambe
Bay. No invasions were recorded on the Heysham mussel bed during this period. On
both mussel beds invasions were confined to the March-August period (Figs. 2A,B).
The reason for the offshore movement of large A. rubens is unknown. Mussels of all
sizes are available on the Heysham mussel bed all the year round, and the onset of
rough weather did not apparently affect the starfish that remained on the shore. Also,
numbers of the small size group of A. rubens were only slightly reduced (Fig. 2A).

Sloan and Aldridge (1981) concluded from the unimodal size distribution of A. rubens
aggregations in Morecambe Bay that specimens had originated from a single settlement
of larvae. The observation in the present study of one invasion of small size group A.
rubens supports this finding.

During the 1984 invasion local fishermen gathered approximately 100,000 13-20 cm
diameter A. rubens (J. Foster, pers. comm.). While numbers of large A. rubens were
lower in 1985 than in 1984 (Fig. 3B), they were as great as those in most years prior to
1984, so that this intensive collecting appears to have had little, if any, effect on
abundance. The only other echinoderm observed on the Heysham mussel bed was
Ophiothrix fragilis (Abildgaard). It was found every year from 1954 to 1961 but was not
seen again until 1969, and subsequently was recorded in 9 years. It was often found on
the sponge Halichondria panicea (Pallas) but also occurred beneath stones and shells,
and occasionally exposed on the shore.

Acknowledgements

I thank Drs T. G. Piearce, S. Warrington and P. J. Dare for commenting on the
manuscript, and Mr. J Clare for assistance with field work and the preparation of the
figures, and my wife Amy, whose unending patience and understanding have been
invaluable.

References

Barker, M. F. and Nichols, D. (1983) Reproduction, recruitment and juvenile ecology
of the starfish, Asterias rubens and Marthasterias glacialis. J. mar. biol. Ass. U.K.
63: 745-765.

Chadwick, H. C. (1923) L.M.B.C. memoirs on typical British marine plants & animals.
XXV. Asterias. University Press of Liverpool, Hodder and Stoughton, London.

Asterias rubens on a Mussel Bed 1954-85 65

Crisp, D. J. (1964) The effects of the severe winter of 1962-63 on marine life in Britain.
J. anim. Ecol. 33: 165-201.

Dare, P. J. (1982) Notes on the swarming behaviour and population density of Asterias
rubens L. (Echinodermata Asteroidea) feeding on the mussel, Mytilus edulis L. J.
Cons. int. Explor. Mer. 40: 112-118.

Jones, D. and Clare, J. (1977) Annual and long-term fluctuations in the abundance of
fish species inhabiting an intertidal mussel bed in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire. Zool.
J. Linn. Soc. 60: 117-172.

Sibly, R. M. and McCleery, R. H. (1983) The distribution between feeding sites of
herring gulls breeding at Walney Island, U.K. J. anim. Ecol. 52: 51-68.

Sloan, N. A. and Aldridge, T. H. (1981) Observations on an aggregation of the starfish
Asterias rubens L. in Morecambe Bay, Lancashire, England. J. nat. Hist. 15: 407-
418.

Vevers, H. G. (1949) The biology of Asterias rubens L.: growth and reproduction. J.
mar. biol. Ass. U.K. 28: 165-187.

VERPA CONICA: A RARE MOREL FOUND IN TWO NEW YORKSHIRE
VICE-COUNTIES (61 & 64) IN 1986

A. GRAMSHAWt, M. C. CLARK and T. F. PREECE
f Roundhills, 24 Halstead Drive, Menston, Ilkley LS29 6NT

Good illustrated descriptions of the ascomycete morel fungus Verpa conica can be found
in Lange and Hora (1965) and in Phillips (1981). As Verpa digitaliformis (see later),
the only Yorkshire records are from Mason and Grainger (1937) and were in VCs 62,
63 and 65. Bramley (1985) also gives a 1908 record from Masham (VC65). Mr Bramley
says in a letter to us that he has never seen this fungus himself in Yorkshire. The way
in which Mason and Grainger prepared their lists makes it impossible to say precisely
where their VC62, 63 and 65 records were. However, Massee and Crossland (1905) give
a record in VC62, in Forge Valley, near Scarborough, and in VC65 at Hermitage,
Bedale in 1901. Dr Derek Reid has written to us to say that he regards the name of
this fungus to be Verpa conica, not V. digitaliformis. Whether there are in fact two
species is a problem; apparently they were originally distinguished on the basis of a
narrow pedicellate attachment of the head ( V . conica), whereas V. digitaliformis has
been reported as having a broad non-pedicellate attachment of the head, and to have
slightly broader ascospores.

VC61 Record

One of us (MCC) found a number of specimen of V. conica on 11 May 1986 at Boynton
Willowgarth, near Bridlington, on the YNU Spring Foray. Most were poor and stunted,
and were under some large hawthorns ( Crataegus ) in loose soil with little other
vegetation, near a stream. The site was possibly subject to flooding.

VC64 Record

Another of us (AG) and Mrs Freda Draper found a single specimen of V. conica on a
sandy part of the bank of the River Wharfe in Strid Wood, Bolton Abbey on 13 May
1986. The brown, blunt, uneven head lacked the conical shape shown in the usual
illustrations (Large & Hora 1965; Phillips 1981) but the creamy stem with very faint
transverse lines of tiny scales agreed well with the published descriptions. The brown
head was free at the edges and yellowish beneath. The fungus was growing on a moss-
covered rock amongst butterbur ( Petasites hybridus ). The river had recently been in
flood and the nearby butterbur heads were brown and shrivelled. Possibly the flooding

Naturalist 112 (1987)

66 Verpa conica: a Rare Morel Found in Two New Yorkshire Vice-counties

had affected the development of the fungus. Mr Bramley examined the specimen
microscopically and considered that the asci, ascospores and paraphyses matched well
with the published descriptions of V. conica.

Previous Records in Great Britain

It is clear (Reid 1977) that V. conica is quite a rare fungus, although there was a curious
increase in records during the Spring of 1977. Apart from those given by Dr Reid in
his paper, he has written to us to say that he has the following records: 1968 — Surrey,
Newlands Corner; 1977 — 6 records from Warwickshire; 3 records from Huntingdonshire
(Aversley Wood, Waresley Wood, Castor Hanglands); 1978 — Ruislip Common,
Middlesex; 1979 — South Uist; 1980 — Glan-yr-Afon, Abergele, Clwyd, North Wales;
1983 — Silverdale, Lancashire; 1985, Inveraver, Scotland.

As can be seen from these sparse records, there does not, as yet, seem to have been
another ‘ Verpa conica year’ since 1977. MCC has records of one specimen being found
in Warwickshire in 1984, and one other specimen in the same county in 1985. He found
the fungus in 1984 in Worcestershire, probably (see Reid 1977) the second known record
for that county.

The causes of the sparseness of this fungus in most years await investigation, as does
its curious apparent absence in many vice-counties of Great Britain. Meantime, good
records from anywhere are of great interest; the time to look for it is very clear: our
records fit with Dr Reid’s earliest (March 22) and latest (May 23) dates of all known
British records.

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Dr T. F. Hering for checking Yorkshire records; Mr W. G.
Bramley for checking his records and for microscopical work; Dr D. Reid for sending
us his records and help regarding the name of the fungus.

References

Bramley, W. G. (1985) A Fungus Flora of Yorkshire. Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union,
Leeds.

Lange, M. and Hora, F. B. (1965) Collins Guide to Mushrooms and Toadstools. 2nd
ed. Collins, London.

Mason, F. A. and Grainger, J. (1937) A Catalogue of Yorkshire Fungi. A. Brown,
London.

Massee, G. and Crossland, C. (1905) Fungus Flora of Yorkshire. A. Brown, London.
Phillips, R. (1981) Mushrooms and other Fungi of Great Britain and Europe. Pan Books,
London.

Reid, D. (1977) On the exceptional abundance of Verpa conica with notes on unusual
occurrence of other fungi. Bulletin of the British Mycological Society 11: 131-136.

BOOK REVIEW

Wildest Britain by Roland Smith, with photography by Mike Williams. Pp. 224, numerous
b/w & coloured illustrations, plus maps. 1986. £6.95 paperback.

This second edition of Wildest Britain can be highly commended as a visitor’s guide
to the ten National Parks of Britain. It is produced attractively and with great detail.
The photography is splendid, in pleasantly natural colours and shows very clearly how
hilly and rocky are many of the counties. It is most helpful in dealing with the best
travel routes for walking and driving as well as supplying a list of useful tourist
accommodation addresses. An added bonus at the end of each section is a list of Places
to Visit and extra books to read which should assist the intending visitor. A most useful
and interesting book for the serious traveller or the motorist just passing through.

MET

ORIBATID MITES (ACARI: CRYPTOSTIGMATA)
FROM THE ISLE OF MAN

MALCOLM LUXTON

Department of Biology, Liverpool Polytechnic, Liverpool L3 3AF
Introduction

The mites of the Isle of Man are virtually unknown. The literature contains two records
for Cryptostigmata, that of Michael (1888) who noted receipt of specimens of Hermannia
reticulata from the island, and that of Bruce et al (1963) who listed Hygroribates marinus
(= Scutovertex spoofi ) from the sea shore. The catalogue presented here increases the
number to 59 species, including 7 new records for the British Isles and 2 species new to
science.

Collecting Locations

A. Lichen, moss and soil on a north facing rock outcrop, Glenmaye, near Peel (D.

Knight, 1.1.86), n = 77.

B. Moss on ground, Glenmaye, near Peel (D. Knight, 1.1.86), n = 231.

C. Moss on rock (slate), Glenmaye, near Peel (D. Knight, 1.1.86), n = 35.

D. Moss on tree stump, Glenmaye, near Peel (D. Knight, 1.1.86), n = 184.

E. Moss on stone wall, the Raggatt Bridge on the A27 road, 1 mile south of Peel (D.

Knight, 1.1.86), n = 64.

F. Mixed deciduous litter, the Raggatt Bridge on the A27 road, 1 mile south of Peel

(D. Knight, 1.1.86), n = 5.

G. Boggy hollow, summit of South Barrule (530 m) (L. S. Garrad, 21.5.71), n = 743.

H. (wet place ?) at 80 m on the Calf of Man (L. S. Garrad, 10.6.69), n = 573.

I. Grass sod at 700 m just below summit of Snaefell (A. C. Garrad, 15.6.71), n =

282.

Population Abundances

Total oribatid densities per sample are given after the locality data above, but the mite
species populations have also been given an arbitrary abundance index to provide some
gauge of their importance relative to the other members of the oribatid community.
Thus:

<1% of total oribatids in sample = 1

I- 5% = 2

6-10% = 3

II- 15% = 4

16-20% = 5

>20% = 6

Species List

New British records are marked with an asterisk.

Superfamily Phthiracaroidea

Family Phthiracaridae

Phthiracarus afftnis (Hull, 1914). B2, HI.
Phthiracarus longulus (C. L. Koch, 1841). B2.

Superfamily Brachychthonoidea

Family Brachychthoniidae

Brachychthonius berlesei Willmann, 1928. 12.
Liochthonius brevis (Michael, 1888). 12.
Synchthonius crenulatus (Jacot, 1938). II.

Naturalist 112 (1987)

68 Oribatid Mites from the Isle of Man

Superfamily Hypochthonoidea

Family Hypochthoniidae

Hypochthonius rufulus C. L. Koch, 1836. Bl.

Superfamily Hermannoidea
Family Hermanniidae

Hermannia gibba (C. L. Koch, 1840). B6, C4.

Superfamily Nanhermannoidea
Family Nanhermanniidae

Nanhermannia coronata Berlese, 1913. Gl, H6, II.

* Nanhermannia sellnicki Forsslund, 1958. H2.

Superfamily Nothroidea
Family Camisiidae

Platynothrus peltifer (C. L. Koch, 1839). G2, HI, 12.

Family Malaconothridae

Malaconothrus monodactylus (Michael, 1888). H6.

Trimalaconothrus novus Sellnick, 1921. G6.

Family Nothridae

Nothrus palustris C. L. Koch, 1839. B2.

Superfamily Carabodoidea
Family Carabodidae

Carabodes marginatus (Michael, 1884). 12.

Carabodes willmanni Bernini, 1975. 14.

Odontocepheus elongatus (Michael, 1879). D2.

Family Tectocepheidae

Tectocepheus velatus (Michael, 1880). II.

Superfamily Eremaeoidea
Family Eremaeidae

Eremaeus oblongus C. L. Koch, 1836. A2, Dl, E6.

Note: I have compared specimens of Eremaeus oblongus (C. L. Koch sensu Michael,
1879) from the Michael Collection of the British Museum (Natural History) with
types of Eremaeus silvestris Forsslund, 1956 from the Svenske Naturhistoriska
Riksmuseet, and conclude that they are conspecific. The two Swedish specimens
have somewhat more slender sensillar capituli than the British material but this
and other differences may be encompassed within the natural range of variation. I
have also examined a number of specimens collected recently in Britain, and concur
with the view of Gjelstrup and Solh0y (in press) that the species Eremaeus oblongus
is rather variable. There is a certain amount of sexual dimorphism and variation
resulting from the relative degree of sclerotization which accompanies aging. In
some specimens, the development of the costular region can vary morphologically
and also with orientation of the specimen. For instance, one of Michael’s specimens
clearly shows a transcostular ridge spanning the bases of the costulae. This variation
casts doubt on the veracity of some other species of the genus, which needs careful
revision.

Tricheremaeus serrata (Michael, 1885). A2.

Note: Not recorded from the British Isles since its description (Michael 1885, 1888).

Oribatid Mites from the Isle of Man

Superfamily Liacaroidea
Family Astegistidae

Cultroribula juncta (Michael, 1885). A4.

(Fig. 1 A,B)

Note: Michael’s (1885) description and figure of Notaspis juncta are not adequate
to characterize the species properly. In particular, his description of the tarsi as
being monodactylous is erroneous, an error which has been constantly repeated in
the literature and which is especially serious since the species is the type of the
genus Cultroribula. The tarsi are, in fact, heterotridactylous. Two slides of Notaspis
juncta from the Michael Collection of the British Museum (Natural History) have
been examined. That coded 1930.8.25.662 is selected as lectotype. Both specimens
are somewhat obliquely aligned, and the following supplement to Michael’s descrip-
tion and figure are therefore made from the Isle of Man specimens which exactly
resemble the lectotype.

Dimensions: Mean length 253 pm (range 240-270) (n= 6); mean width 157 pm
(range 140-180) (n=6).

Prodorsum: Rostrum with a medial projection (i.e. with 2 lateral indentations) and
flanked with 2 slight mounds which bear the rigid, smooth and pointed rostral setae
(ro). Tutorium appearing in dorsal view as a ridge closely adpressed to the side of
the proterosoma, but in lateral view as a plate which is rounded anteriorly. The
lateral sides of the proterosoma ventral to the tutorial ridges reticulated. Pedotectum
I pointed. Lamellae typical for the genus with long cusps, slightly expanded
medially, which are raised well above the prodorsal surface but which do not extend
to the rostral tip. Tips of cusps narrow and blunt and bearing smooth (or slightly
roughened with cerotegument) lamellar setae (la) which project beyond the rostral
tip. Lamellae contiguous at about their mid-point (from where the cusps arise)
and joined to the bothridia posteriorly. Bothridia robust cylinders only partly
covered by the anterior rim of the notogaster. Sensilli (ss) with long, fusiform,
slightly imbricate capituli which are at least as long as the thin stalk; only half, or
less, of the stalks emerge from the mouths of the bothridia. Interlamellar setae (il)
small, inconspicuous and situated close to the inner edge of the attached portion
of the lamellae.

Notogaster: Notochaetae, frequently represented by alveoli, number 12 pairs.
Visible setae are short, fine and smooth. Humeral extensions (which bear one pair
of the visible notochaetae) are conspicuous, oblong in shape (the long axis attached
to the notogaster) and with rounded corners. Notogastral integument smooth. Pore
im conspicuous.

Venter: Ventral, anal and genital plates smooth. Anal and genital plates close
together; anterior border of genital plate contiguous with posterior borders of
epimera 4. Epimeral setal formula 2-1-2-4. Epimera 1 separated by a vertical
sternal bar; epimera 2 coalesced; epimera 3 reduced and coalesced with epimera
4. Epimera 4 strongly areolated, epimera 1, 2 and 3 with weaker markings. Genital
setae number 5 pairs; aggenital setae reaching lateral borders of genital plates and
numbering 1 pair; anal setae 2 pairs (occasionally 3 setae may be present on one
plate); adanal setae 3 pairs. All ventral setae, where present, smooth and fine.
Appendages: All legs heterotridactylous.

Family Ceratoppiidae

Ceratoppia bipilis (Hermann, 1804). Bl.

Family Gustaviidae

Gustavia microcephala (Nicolet, 1855). Bl.

Family Liacaridae

Adoristes poppei (Oudemans, 1906). F6.

Xenillus tegeocranus (Hermann, 1804). F5.

Oribatid Mites from the Isle of Man

FIGURE 1

Cultroribula juncta (Michael, 1885)
A Dorsal view — B Ventral view
(scale bar = 50 |xm)

Oribatid Mites from the Isle of Man

FIGURE 2

Quadroppia bellula n.sp.

A Dorsal view — B Ventral view
(scale bar = 50 fxm)

Oribatid Mites from the Isle of Man

Superfamily Oppioidea

Family Oppiidae

Beminiella sigma (Strenzke, 1951). Bl, 12.

Dissorhina omata (Oudemans, 1900). B6, C6, 16.

Lauroppia neerlandica (Oudemans, 1900). HI.

Medioppia obsoleta (Paoli, 1908). B4.

*Moritziella keilbachi (Moritz, 1969). A2.

Moritziella unicarinata (Paoli, 1908). A3, C3, H2, 13.

*Multioppia neglecta C. Perez-Inigo, 1969. E2.

Oppiella nova (Oudemans, 1902). B4, H5.

Quadroppia bellula n.sp. B2.

(Fig. 2A, B)

Dimensions: Mean length 187 pm (range 180-200) (n=3); mean width 117 pm
(range 100-130) (n=3).

Prodorsum: Rostrum somewhat truncate; rostral setae fine, smooth and curved
medially. Rostral sculpturing in the form of a horseshoe. Costulae and transcostula
complex: junctions of costulae and transcostula each appearing to be overlain by a
sclerotized triangular structure like a candle-snuffer, this gives the transcostula the
appearance of being incomplete but in fact the transcostular ridge can be seen as
a faint bar at a deeper level; junctions of costulae and transcostula extend somewhat
anteriorly of transcostula. Area between rostral sculpture and transcostula faintly
granulate; on each side of this is an irregular, sculptured zone bearing a delimited
area within it. Lamellar setae smooth, short, fine and arising from the costular/tran-
scostular junctions. Interlamellar setae also fine and smooth and inserted near the
inner edges of costulae; just anterior to the interlamellar setae are two faint, round
zones. Bothridia massive with large posterior condyles. Sensilli clavate with smooth
capituli.

Notogaster: Notogaster with 9 pairs of smooth, fine notochaetae of medium length.
Humeral extensions arising somewhat posteriorly of dorsosejugal suture. Cristae
long, both pairs more-or-less extending to level of setae h3, the outermost lines
showing faint extensions posterior to h3. Setae h2 inserted on small mounds.
Venter: Epimeral region structured as in Fig. 2B. Epimeral formula 3-1-3-0. Some
sculpturing on epimera 3, which are characteristically separated from epimera 4 by
a line. All ventral setae short and smooth; genital setae number 5 pairs, aggenital
setae 1 pair, anal setae 2 pairs, adanal setae 3 pairs.

Types: The holotype (1987.4.1.1.) and 2 paratypes (1987.4.1.2-3) are deposited at
the British Museum (Natural History), London.

* Quadroppia maritalis (Lions, 1982) comb. nov. B2.

(Quadroppia quadricarinata maritalis: Lions 1982; Minguez et al 1985)

Quadroppia quadricarinata (Michael, 1885). C3, II.

(Quadroppia quadricarinata virginalis: Lions 1982; Minguez et al 1985; Subias and
Rodriguez 1986)

(Fig. 3A, B)

Note: Michael’s (1885) description and figure of Notaspis quadricarinata are suf-
ficient to characterize the genus Quadroppia. However, since this time several new
species and subspecies have been recorded (Lions 1982, Minguez et al 1985) and
it is clearly necessary for a more up-to-date assessment of the type. One of the
two slide preparations of Notaspis quadricarinata at the British Museum (Natural
History) (coded 1930.8.25.434) has been marked lectotype K.-H. Forsslund’. This
designation was never published but is formalized here. The following is a sup-
plement to Michael’s description and the figure is of the lectotype. The main
difference seen from the original account is that the notochaetae are longer, more
numerous and less stout than shown in Michael’s paper. The nominate species most
closely resembles Q. quadricarinata virginalis Lions, 1982.

Oribatid Mites from the Isle of Man

FIGURE 3

Quadroppia quadricarinata (Michael, 1885)
A Dorsal view — B Ventral view
(scale bar = 50 fxm)

Oribatid Mites from the Isle of Man
Dimensions of lectotype: Length 200 |xm; width 130 |xm.

Prodorsum: Rostrum broadly rounded, rostral setae fine and smooth, elbowed and
directed medially; costulae and transcostula robust, encircling bothridia posteriorly,
bearing short, fine, smooth lamellar setae at the junctions of costulae and transcos-
tula. Conspicuous chitinous ridges set obliquely above junctions of costulae and
transcostula, these are linked to costulae via further independent ridges which
appear to be continuations of the transcostula; another curved ridge is situated
posterior to both structures at a deeper level. Interlamellar setae small, fine and
smooth. Bothridia robust, each with a small posterior tubercle. Sensilli clavate,
with long pedicels; capituli covered in small spicules.

Notogaster: Humeral processes square, each bearing a seta. Notochaetae long,
fine, smooth and numbering 9 pairs. Outer cristal lines reaching to the level of
setae h3; inner, thicker, lines reaching to level of setae 13.

Venter: (Observed through dorsal surface) general facies as in Fig. 3B. Genital
setae number 5 pairs, aggenital setae 1 pair, anal setae 2 pairs, adanal setae 3
pairs. Epimeral structure as in Fig. 3B, epimeral formula not determined. The
British species of Quadroppia may be distinguished with the following key :

1 Rostral region of prodorsum with a horseshoe-shaped sculpture; junctions of

costulae and transcostula overlain with thin, sclerotized plates giving the trans-
costula the appearance of being discontinuous . . . bellula

Rostral region of prodorsum without horseshoe-shaped sculpture; junctions of
costulae and transcostula without accessory plates ... 2

2 Transcostula broad and conspicuous; internal borders of epimera 3 and 4 sinuous

and close together . . . quadricarinata

Transcostula narrow and faint; internal borders of epimera 3 and 4 straight and
wide apart . . . maritalis

Family Banksinomidae

Banksinoma lanceolata (Michael, 1885). H2, 12.

Family Suctobelbidae

Suctobelba trigona (Michael, 1888). B2.

Suctobelbella nasalis (Forsslund, 1941). B2.

Suctobelbella sarekensis (Forsslund, 1941). Bl.

Suctobelbella subcornigera (Forsslund, 1941). B2.

* Suctobelbella vera Moritz, 1964. Bl, II.

Superfamily Ceratozetoidea
Family Ceratozetidae

* Ceratozetes peritus Grandjean, 1953. B2, C2.

Edwardzetes edwardsi (Nicolet, 1855). E5.

Fuscozetes fuscipes (C. L. Koch, 1844). HI.

Humerobates rostrolamellatus Grandjean, 1936. Dl.

Latilamellobates incisellus (Kramer, 1897). E2.

Sphaerozetes orbicularis (C. L. Koch, 1836). E2.

Family Chamobatidae

Chamobates borealis (Tragardh, 1902). A6, 14.

Chamobates cuspidatus (Michael, 1884). Bl, Gl.

Family Euzetidae

Euzetes globulus (Nicolet, 1855). B2.

Superfamily Oribatelloidea
Family Achipteriidae

Achipteria coleoptrata (Linnaeus, 1758). HI.

Parachipteria willmanni van der Hammen, 1952. HI.

Oribatid Mites from the Isle of Man

FIGURE 4

Zygoribatula knighti n.sp.

A Dorsal view — B Ventral view
(scale bar = 50 fxm)

76 Oribatid Mites from the Isle of Man

Superfamily Oribatuloidea

Family Oribatulidae

Liebstadia similis (Michael, 1888). HI, 14.

* Phauloppia longiporosa Mahunka, 1982. D4, E2, II.

Note: This species is probably widespread in the British Isles; I have collected it
also from Sedum/Armeria tussocks in the supralittoral at Findochty, Banffshire.
Zygoribatula exilis (Nicolet, 1855). C2, D6.

Zygoribatula knighti n.sp. F5.

(Fig. 4A, B)

Dimensions: Length of unique specimen 410 p,m; width 260 |xm.

Prodorsum: Rostrum nipple-like; rostral setae long, setose and situated latero-
dorsally posterior to rostrum. Lamellae slightly narrower medially and joined by a
narrow translamella. Lamellar setae on slight tubercles, long and setose. Interlamel-
lar setae long and setose. Exobothridial setae long, finer than lamellar and
interlamellar setae, and setose. Sensilli capitate, capituli covered in short spicules.
Notogaster: Notochaetae robust, setose and number 13 (14) pairs, each with a
conspicuous insertion point. Humeral projections slight and rounded, each with a
conspicuous alveolus which probably bore the 14th notochaetae. Dorsosejugal
suture convex and entire. Notogaster finely punctate. Areae porosae small, round
and numbering 4 pairs. Pore im conspicuous.

Venter: Region bearing anal and genital plates scattered with faint, subcuticular
maculae, otherwise surfaces finely punctate. Apodemata 3 fused and situated just
above genital plates, apodemata 1, 2 and 4 separate. Epimeral setal formula 3-2-
2-3. Epimeral setae either somewhat setose or minute. Genital setae smooth and
numbering 4 pairs; aggenital setae minute and numbering 1 pair; anal setae slightly
setose and numbering 2 pairs; adanal setae slightly setose and numbering 3 pairs.
Appendages: Legs heterotridactylous.

Distinguishing features: The species most closely resembles Zygoribatula lenticulata
Minguez & Subias, 1986 but differs in the following respects: (i) notochaetae
40 fxm in length (60 in Z. lenticulata ), (ii) longest epimeral setae about 10 |xm (20
in Z. lenticulata ), (iii) aggenital setae minute (about 20 |xm in Z. lenticulata ), (iv)
epimera lacking reticulation.

Type: Holotype deposited at the British Museum (Natural History), London
(1987.4.1.4).

Note added in proof: Since completing this description, 21 further specimens of Z.
knighti have been examined (from moss on a sand dune. Freshwater West, Dyfed.
7.4.1987. coll. A. J. Luxton). It is now clear that the principal difference of this species
from Z. lenticulata is in the size of the notochaetae which are consistently much shorter
in Z. knighti. The discontinuous translamella and rugose notogastral microsculpture
reported as appearing in some specimens of Z. lenticulata are also apparent in some
specimens of Z. knighti.

The sizes of the ventral setae are variable in Z. knighti and epimeral reticulation
(areolation) is also more or less well developed in the Welsh specimens. Humeral setae
(subequal in length to the other notochaetae) are conspicuous. Mean dimensions and
ranges are as follows: females 451 |jun in length (440-470) (n= 13), 316 fxm in width
(300-340)(n = 13); males 395 fxm in length (380-410)(n = 8), 271 fxm in width (250-
290)(n=8).

Two female and two male syntypes from this collection have been deposited with the
holotype at the British Museum (Natural History), London.

Family Scheloribatidae

Scheloribates laevigatus (C. L. Koch, 1836). E5.

Oribatid Mites from the Isle of Man
Superfamily Passalozetoidea

Family Scutoverticidae

Scutovertex sculptus Michael, 1879. E6.

Abstract

59 species of oribatids (including 7 new British records and 2 species new to science)
are recorded from moss, soil, leaf litter or the sea shore at various localities on the Isle
of Man. Eremaeus silvestris Forsslund, 1956 is declared a junior synonym of E. oblongus
C. L. Koch, 1836. Lectotypes are designated, and redescriptions given, for Cultroribula
juncta (Michael, 1885) and Quadroppia quadricarinata (Michael, 1885). A key to the
British species of Quadroppia is provided.

Acknowledgements

I am most grateful to David Knight, Matt Colloff and Edward Seyd for presenting the
samples on which this paper is based. My thanks also to Dr L. Subias (University of
Madrid) for identifying three of the oppiids and lending the types of Zygoribatula
lenticulata , Torbjorn Kronestedt (Riksmuseum, Stockholm) for lending types of
Eremaeus silvestris , and Anne Baker (British Museum, London) for arranging the loan
of Eremaeus oblongus , Cultroribula juncta and Quadroppia quadricarinata.

References

Bruce, J. R., Colman, J. S. and Jones, N. S. (1963) Marine fauna of the Isle of Man
and its surrounding seas. L.M.B.C. Memoirs, 36: 1-307.

Gjelstrup, P. and Solh^y, T. (in press) The oribatid mites of Iceland. In : Zoology of
Iceland.

Lions, J. (1982) Statistique sexuelle chez deux formes d’oribates proches de Quadroppia
quadricarinata. Acarologia 23: 373-389.

Michael, A. D. (1885) New British Oribatidae. J. Roy. microscop. Soc. 2: 385-397.
Michael, A. D. (1888) British Oribatidae. Vol. II. Ray Society, London.

Minguez, M. E., Ruiz, E. and Subias, L.-S. (1985) El genero Quadroppia. Boletin Asoc.
esp. Entom. 9: 95-118.

Subias, L.-S. and Rodriguez, P. (1986) Oppiidae de los sabinares (de Juniperus thurifera )
de Espaha, IV. Subfamilias Mystroppiinae y Quadroppiinae. Anales de Biologia , 7
(Biologia Animal, 2): 37-45.

BOOK REVIEWS

Collins Guide to the Birds of Prey of Britain and Europe, North Africa and the Middle
East by Benny Gensbol, with illustrations by Bjarne Bertel. Pp. 387, with many colour
and black and white photographs, maps and drawings. Collins, 1986. £14.95.

This is a book for the specialist rather than the general birdwatcher, dealing in some
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The author is to be congratulated on his industry and scholarship in producing a most
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Book Reviews

Distribution and Status of Bats in Europe by R. E. Stebbings and Francesca Griffith.

Pp. 142, including 19 black-and-white plates, 31 maps and 2 tables. Institute of Terrestrial
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A considerable degree of effort and international collaboration has gone into the
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The book paints a depressing picture of the widespread decline of many European
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AAW

Breeding Butterflies and Moths. A Practical Handbook for British and European Species
by Ekkehard Friedrich (translated by Steven Whitebread), edited by A. M. Emmet. Pp.
176, with 47 text figs. Harley Books, Colchester. 1986. £20.00 hardback, £9.95 paperback.

This volume is largely based on the second edition of Friedrich’s Handbuch der
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Steven Whitebread, himself an experienced lepidopterist. However this is more than a
translation, useful as that would have been, for much additional material has been
incorporated, particularly concerning the Geometridae and ‘microlepidoptera’ and com-
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An introductory chapter entitled ‘How to Use this Book’ begins ‘It may be assumed
that whoever uses this book will also possess entomological works for identification.
Therefore, the foodplants of the caterpillar are not listed where this information has
previously been well documented.’ It follows, therefore, that this book complements
existing literature by providing information not adequately covered in other works. The
nomenclature adopted for the British species is that of Kloet & Hincks with subsequent
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required to guide the breeder through the many pitfalls. The treatment of the butterflies
and the majority of the macrolepidoptera is that of Friedrich, while that of the
Geometridae was felt to be inadequate so far as the British fauna was concerned and
Mr J. Reid has provided much additional material which has integrated well with the
existing text.

As the section dealing with the microlepidoptera in the original work was very brief,
an enlarged contribution by Lt Col A. M. Emmet dealing entirely with the British fauna
has been substituted, although this does include the original text on the Psychidae and

Book Reviews 79

the non-British Thyrididae. This information, when used in conjunction with that in A
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This book is a compendium of invaluable information for all whose interest in
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This is a monograph aimed at the researcher in ecology and related disciplines, in
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The book contains some interesting ideas, and the authors suggest that their proposals
will help integrate the conceptual framework of various schools of ecology. However, I
felt that this laudable aim might be somewhat impeded by the rather difficult style in
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WHGH

The Wild Places of Britain by David Bellamy. Pp. 192, with the author’s watercolour
illustrations. Webb & Bower (Michael Joseph). 1986. £12.95.

Imagine the most desolate places in Britain under the most atrocious weather conditions
— these are the wild places that most attract the artist David Bellamy (not to be confused
with his botanist namesake). He finds watercolour best captures the subtle moods he
wants to convey and chooses to paint in rain, blizzards and gales when the mountain
scenery is at its most atmospheric — in his words, ‘driving wind in the face can enliven
one’s response to nature’. He vividly describes both the hazards and the appalling
discomforts he endured, and the rewards that made these expeditions into the high places
so worthwhile. The result is a book that is both absorbing to read and a visual delight.

DAC

Floreat Hibernia. A bio-bibliography of Robert Lloyd Praeger 1865-1953 by Timothy
Collins. Pp. xiv + 151, including numerous b/w photographs and figures. 1985. Royal
Dublin Society. IR£12.00.

This book, as the author admits, is not a definitive biography; however, Timothy
Collins is to be congratulated on successfully portraying Praeger’s enthusiasms and
achievements.

Praeger was a most influential figure, dominating the natural history movement in
Ireland for more than half a century. The list of his published work is impressive, both
in terms of its quantity (Collins lists some 789 items) and coverage (archaeology,
topography, geology and a wide range of biological subjects), but he will best be
remembered for his Irish Topographical Botany (1901), A Tourist’s Flora of the West
of Ireland (1909), The Botanist in Ireland (1934), The Way That I Went (1937), and his
researches into the Irish flora. Praeger’s achievements were similarly impressive and far

80 Book Reviews

too numerous to recount here; suffice it to say that he was a co-founder of The Irish
Naturalist (later The Irish Naturalists’ Journal ), founder member of both the Library
Association of Ireland and the National Trust for Ireland, and a driving force behind
the innovative Clare Island Survey. He held numerous prestigious offices and received
several honours during his long lifetime.

The biographical section of this book is complemented by many delightful and
evocative period photographs, and supported by useful reference lists and an indek. The
bibliographical section is usefully cross-referenced to subjects, persons and serials. The
final appendix lists the contents of the Praeger Collection in the possession of the Royal
Irish Academy. MRDS

The Landscape of the Welsh Marches by Trevor Rowley. Pp. 257, with 80 plates and 12
figures. Michael Joseph. 1986. £14.95.

Between the realities of the Saxon east and the mysteries of the Celtic west lies a land
half English and half Welsh. It has held a magic sway over many people over many years:
A. E. Housman was one of its chief apologists when he wrote lines such as ‘In valleys of
springs and rivers, /by Ony and Teme and Clun,/The country for easy livers, /The quietest
under the sun’. Now, Trevor Rowley has added another, and very satisfying account of the
Welsh Marches. He tells us how the term ‘march’ comes from the Anglo-Saxon mearc,
meaning boundary, and how Offa, King of Mercia, built his Dyke there. This great
rampart, from north to south, from sea to sea, is the most extensive linear earthwork in
Britain and provides both a backbone for the Marches and tangible evidence of a
negotiated Dark Age political settlement between English and Welsh. The book starts by
describing the physiography of the Marches and then leads the reader through the human
history of the land from the Old Stone Age, the Roman impact, the Saxon invasions, the
Norman occupation through the Industrial Revolution to the present century. There is
much scholarly detail and each chapter lists ‘places to visit’, not in the trite style of the
average guidebook, but written in a genuinely informative manner. I wish I had had this
book in years past when I drove regularly from Aberystwyth eastwards through
Montgomery: Rowley’s description of that town would have induced me to break my
onward rush to spend some time there. The book is profusely illustrated with 80
monochrome plates and 12 well-executed maps and plans. I unhesitatingly recommend the
work to anyone with an interest in the Welsh Marches, that ‘nostalgic landscape of deeply
engraved leafy lanes’. BED

Walkers by Miles Jebb. Pp. xii + 202. Constable. 1986. £10.95.

Walking is natural and universal and people have walked for innumerable reasons
and in countless ways. The author has chosen 10 themes to demonstrate the great diversity
of walkers past and present: Pilgrims, Tourers, Romantics, Athletes, Intellectuals,
Discoverers, Tramps, Ramblers and Backpackers. Throughout he has tried to focus on
the physical and mental experience of the walk itself, examining blisters, peering into
rucksacks and probing morale. Thomas Coryate, George Brown, Wordsworth and
Coleridge, R. L. Stevenson, Hilaire Belloc, Ramsay MacDonald, John Hillaby and Jean
Jacques Rousseau are just a few of the many people whose walking styles and motives
he discusses. In addition, he gives us an insight into how walking integrated into social
life in the past by reference to English fiction. Concerning supposedly factual accounts
of great walks, some are greatly exaggerated e.g. that of Captain John Dundas Cochrane,
in which he claimed to have accomplished great distances in the Arctic Circle in atrocious
conditions with unbelievable rapidity; Miles Jebb is quick to suggest where this might
be the case.

This is an informative, readable, entertaining and well-written account which the
reviewer recommends whole-heartedly to all who indulge in this pursuit which demands
not only physical skills and endurance, but also correct mental attitudes, such as
independence, sense of purpose, determination and unpretentiousness. It will, however,
perhaps be appreciated by most as a book for ‘dipping into’. OWP

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Historical Records of the Swallowtail Butterfly in Yorkshire —

W. E. Rimington

William Backhouse: Entomologist, Ornithologist and
Horticulturalist — Peter Davis

Ant Species in Yorkshire — C. A. Collingwood and J. Hughes
The Genus Testacella in Yorkshire — - A. Norris

Published by the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Union
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HISTORICAL RECORDS OF THE SWALLOWTAIL BUTTERFLY
(. PAPILIO MACHAON L.) IN YORKSHIRE

W. E. RIMINGTON

There appear to be two original sources for records of the swallowtail butterfly in
Yorkshire. The first of these originates almost certainly from a letter written by John
Ray in 1670, and the second — and only substantial record — is contained in Lepidoptera
Britannica (Haworth 1803), the locality referred to being Beverley. These two records
are here considered, together with a necessary account of the habits of P. machaon.

The species has almost certainly existed in two forms in England, the vast majority
of the early records referring to the continental subspecies bigeneratus Verity rather
than to the exclusively English subspecies britannicus Seitz (Bretherton 1951). P.
machaon bigeneratus apart from sporadic occurrences due to immigration in favourable
periods, became virtually extinct in England in the early nineteenth century. Its
distribution here was always southerly, historically recorded colonies rarely extending
much further north than the Severn. On the Continent the insect frequents a variety of
habitats, occurs to altitudes of 2000 metres and utilizes a variety of foodplants, mostly
umbelliferae. It is unquestionably migratory and according to Warren (1951) is obligately
bivoltine. Available evidence indicates that in England its habits were similar. P.
machaon britannicus is in contrast a sedentary fenland insect whose larvae feed almost
exclusively on milk-parsley ( Peucedanum palustre (L.) Moench). It is obligately bivoltine.
Single examples of the two subspecies are sometimes separable only with difficulty.

The following letter (quoted in Lankester 1848) headed ‘Middleton 17.7.1670’ was
written by John Ray to his friend John Willughby. ‘This summer we found the same
horned Eruca which you and I observed about Montpelier feeding on F. tortuosum.
Here it was found on common fennel. It hath already undergone the first change into a
chrysalis and we hope it will come out a butterfly before winter.’ It seems certain that
this letter is the source of all subsequent references to Middleton as a Yorkshire locality
for P. machaon , both Kirby and Spence (1828) who actually quote the letter and Dale
(1902) referring to ‘Middleton in Yorkshire’ as a locality for the butterfly. It is
equally certain however that the letter heading ‘Middleton’ refers to Middleton Hall in
Warwickshire, Willughby’s residence, where Ray frequently stayed and that the above
authors mistake ‘Middleton’ for Middleton-on-the-Wolds which lies some ten miles from
Beverley, the locality for P. machaon given by Haworth (1803). Ray’s only association
with Beverley seems to have been a brief visit during his first itinerary in 1658 during
which little or no entomology appears to have been performed. Ray’s later comment
made to his friend James Petiver (Wilkinson 1981) that he had seen the swallowtail in
the ‘north of England’ is an intriguing but frustratingly obscure remark to which no
local significance can be attached. It seems therefore that no reasonable grounds exist
for associating Ray’s observation with any locality in Yorkshire.

Haworth (1803) in his famous reference to the swallowtail in Yorkshire wrote ‘An
ingenious and practical Aurelian friend has informed me that he took two sorts of
swallow-tailed Papilios near Beverley in Yorkshire five and twenty years ago but no
specimen of them are now extant, a fire which unhappily destroyed a great part of his
property having consumed them likewise. Now, as we have only two swallow-tailed
species in Great Britain, one of the above in all probability was Podalirius. I know
machaon (the common swallow-tailed Papilio) breeds near Beverley yet; and my brother
in law R. Scales of Walworth near London possesses a specimen of it which was taken
there about seven years since’.

Rylands (1839) supplies the name of Haworth’s friend as ‘Mr Rippon of York’.

Naturalist 112 (1987)

Historical Records of the Swallowtail Butterfly

Although taken seriously by Porritt (1883) and by all other authors this record is totally
rejected by Allan (1958). Allan’s argument ran briefly thus:

1. By implication Haworth’s friend was unreliable since the scarce swallowtail ( Iphiclides
podalirius L.) was neither a northerly insect on the Continent nor was it a migrant
and would not therefore be found near to Beverley.

2. Since the labelling of specimens in collections was not then customary Scales’
recollections were unreliable.

3. Haworth’s only evidence that it ‘breeds near Beverley yet’ was a single specimen
taken about 1795, whereas his friend Peter Watson who lived in Hull all his life could
have told him of any butterfly in the district in 1803. Haworth lived in London from
around 1793 to 1812.

The significant personalities involved appear to be John Rippon, Robert Scales, Peter
Watson and Haworth. Of John Rippon I have discovered little other than that he lived
from 1721 to 1805, was a member of the third Aurelian Society and was the first recorder
of the cranefly Ctenophora flaveolata Fabricius in Britain. Watson 1761-1830, Scales and
Haworth 1760-1833 all lived in Hull for varying periods of time and were magnificent
entomologists. Both Watson and Haworth were also highly proficient botanists. All were
members of the third Aurelian Society founded by Haworth in 1801 and were on close
personal terms.

Allan’s dismissal of Rippon’s evidence is unreasonable for Rippon, who could certainly
recognize P. machaon, is not recorded as stating that he had seen ‘podalirius’. It is not
impossible that his second ‘swallow-tailed Papilio’ was a recognizably distinct variety of
P. machaon such as ab. aurantiaca Speyer. Moreover distribution patterns are not static.
Curtis (1836) discussing the range of ‘P. podalirius ’ writes ‘M. Hoffman assures me that
it is found even at Hamburg’. The status of I. podalirius as a British insect was then in
dispute, but Rylands ( loc cit) after consideration of the available evidence inclined to
the view that it was.

Allan’s second point concerning the labelling of specimens in old collections is true
but it is almost inconceivable that Scales would mistake such a novelty as a specimen
of P. machaon from Beverley.

The third point simply does not make sense for Watson quite probably was the
entomologist who informed Haworth that P. machaon ‘breeds near Beverley yet’;
moreover the implication is that his correspondent had actually seen the larva which
was then well known. Overlooked by Allan is the information given by Haworth
{Lepidoptera Britannica , p. 16) that Watson had taken ‘in the county of York’ and sent
to him, two specimens of the large heath butterfly ( Coenonympha tullia Muller). Stephens
(1828) gives the locality as Beverley. The important point here is that the captures were
made at Beverley between Haworth’s departure for London around 1793 and the
publication of Lepidoptera Britannica in 1803. C. tullia was first publicly noticed by
Lewin (1795). Interestingly Watson also sent Haworth specimens of the rare mazarine
blue butterfly ( Cyaniris semiargus Rott.).

Nor was Watson the only naturalist to work the Beverley marshes at this time for
those two distinguished botanists Christopher Machell — the first recorder of milk-
parsley at Beverley in 1796 (Teesdale 1800) — and Robert Teesdale visited the marshes
on several occasions during the 1790s. Significantly, Teesdale — who described the plant
as abundant at Beverley — then lived near to Haworth at Little Chelsea.

It is reasonable to assume that this highly competent group of naturalists, which
probably also included Rippon and Scales were in regular communication with and in a
position to supply information to Haworth whose integrity and entomological judgement
have to my knowledge never been questioned.

The basic suitability of the area ‘near to Beverley’ as a habitat for P.m. britannicus
may be assessed by reference to Sheppard (1957, 1958) who described the complex
history of the drainage of the once extensive wetlands of Holderness and the Hull
Valley. Sheppard indicates that by 1800 the meres of Holderness to the east of the Hull
Valley had virtually disappeared. In the Hull Valley itself despite the drainage scheme

Historical Records of the Swallowtail Butterfly

of 1764, areas to the north of Beverley still contained considerable areas of wetland
comprised of fresh water meres, carrs and land under prolonged flood. The western part
of this remaining area was effectively drained by the 1798 scheme while to the north
east a few meres notably Tickton and Leven survived into the early part of the nineteenth
century. We know that milk parsley was abundant at Beverley in 1796 and may safely
assume that although in decline the locality remained potentially suitable for P.m.
britannicus around the year 1800. To the south of Beverley the area was largely salt
marsh and was therefore inimical to the growth of milk-parsley.

Lees (1888) described milk-parsley as ‘common in south Lincolnshire and Yorkshire
swamps’ at the turn of the century. It is not difficult to imagine in bygone days this vast
area of marshland stretching from north of the Humber almost to the Wash, abundant
with the plant and supporting thriving colonies of the swallowtail butterfly. These
colonies would then have formed the link between those to this day extant in East
Anglia and those which by Haworth’s day had become relict ‘near to Beverley’.

Why however was P. machaon not recorded more frequently subsequent to Rippon’s
alleged capture in 1778? The answer to this question probably lies in poor communi-
cations, the declining habitat and the sedentary nature of the butterfly. P.m. britannicus
strays very rarely. Hall ipers. comm.) states that in a 1975 study at Wicken fen, of 300
adults released, despite appeals for observation only two were reported outside the fen.
Moreover, the butterfly was on reaching adjacent territory frequently seen to turn back,
the implication for sightings outside the natural habitat being apparent. At Beverley
sighting opportunities within the swamps must also have declined in parallel with the
deteriorating habitat. It is also a mistake to assume that Haworth, Watson or Scales
knew of the captures until much later than 1778 for Rippon was by then 57 years of
age and almost certainly living in York, while Haworth and Watson were youths and
living in Hull. Furthermore in the absence of entomological journals opportunities for
the dissemination of information were virtually absent and we may reflect that but for
Haworth’s remark no records of Beverley P. machaon would now exist. A most important
parallel exists here in the case of the butterfly in the East Anglian fens for there it was
seemingly known to the Norfolk naturalist William Arderon around 1750 (Whalley 1971)
but remained in obscurity until the early nineteenth century.

The paucity of records for P. machaon at Beverley is I believe no more surprising
than the belated discovery there or at Cottingham of the large heath or that milk-parsley
escaped discovery by a botanist of Watson’s calibre at Beverley. For a man in ignorance
of the peculiar foodplant and habitat requirements of P.m. britannicus and of the
occurrence at Beverley of milk-parsley John Rippon chose his locality with remarkable
precision.

I have assumed in this paper that ‘near to Beverley’ referred to the Beverley marshes
and that the records relate to subspecies britannicus and not to subspecies bigeneratus
of P. machaon. I consider these assumptions to be justified in view of the known
distribution and habits of the two subspecies and the concentration of records about the
available habitat of the Beverley marshes. For the same reasons I do not believe that
statements that the records refer to strays (Jackson 1980) or to bred releases are correct.

It is my belief that these early records refer to P. machaon britannicus and that they
represented at Beverley the last dwindling remnants of a population once common
throughout the extensive marshlands of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.

Acknowledgements

My thanks are due to Miss Eva Crackles and to Dr W. A. Sledge for information
relating to the characteristics and Yorkshire habitats of P. palustre, to Mrs M. L. Hall
for information on the habits of P. machaon in Norfolk, to Dr A. Irwin for drawing
my attention to William Arderon of Norfolk and finally to Mr Peter Skidmore for his
enthusiastic assistance with many aspects of this paper.

Historical Records of the Swallowtail Butterfly

References

Allan, P. B. M. (1958) A Note on Papilio machaon L. Ent. Rec. J. Var. 70: 87-88.

Bretherton, R. F. (1951) The Early History of the Swallow-tail Butterfly ( Papilio
machaon L.) in England. Ent. Rec. J. Var. 63: 206-211.

Curtis, J. (1836) British Entomology . Vol. 13. London.

Dale, C. W. (1902) Historical Notes on Papilio machaon in England. Ent. mon. Mag.
13 (sec. ser.): 37-38.

Haworth, A. H. (1803) Lepidoptera Britannica. London.

Jackson, S. M. (1980) Changes since 1900 in the distribution of butterflies in Yorkshire
and elsewhere in the North of England. Ent. Rec. J. Var. 92: 139-142.

Kirby, W. and Spence, W. (1828) An Introduction to Entomology . Vol. 3. London.

Lankester, E. (1848) Correspondence of John Ray. London.

Lees, F. A. (1888) The Flora of West Yorkshire. {Trans. Yorks. Nat. Un., ser. Bot ., 2:
1-843). London.

Lewin, W. (1795) The Papilios of Great Britain. London.

Porritt, G. T. (1883) List of Yorkshire Lepidoptera. {Trans. Yorks. Nat. Un., ser. Ent.,
2: 1-190). Leeds.

Rylands, P. (1839) Statement of the claims of Papilio podalirius to rank as a British
Insect. Naturalist (Neville Wood) 4: 227-229.

Sheppard, J. A. (1957) The medieval meres of Holderness. Inst. Brit. Geog. Trans. &
Papers 23: 75-85.

Sheppard, J. A. (1958) The Draining of the Hull Valley. East Yorks. Local Hist. Ser.
8: 1-24.

Teesdale, R. (1800) A Supplement to the Plantae Eboracenses. Trans. Linn. Soc. 5:
36-93.

Warren, B. C. S. (1951) Biological notes on the subspecies alpica and bigenerata of
Papilio machaon. Entom. 84: 11-16.

Whalley, P. E. S. (1971) William Arderon, F.R.S., of Norwich, an 18th century diarist
and letter-writer. J. Soc. Biblphy nat. Hist. 6: 30-49.

Wilkinson, R. S. (1981) The first records of Papilio machaon L. in England. Ent. Rec.
J. Var. 93: 4-6.

BOOK REVIEW

The New Forest by Colin R. Tubbs. Pp. 300 (including diagrams and b/w plates), plus 8
pages of colour photographs. New Naturalist, Collins. 1986. £22.50 hardback, £9.95
paperback.

The New Forest lives on, a valuable reminder of the once majestic forests which
clothed so much of England and of which so little now remains. It is therefore all the
more important to chronicle not only long-term but also short-term changes to this
unique asset, which contains both nationally and internationally important habitats.

Colin Tubbs provides a most readable insight into the Forest’s past and present
structure and composition of its plants and animals, and the impact of man upon its
delicate ecological balance. Although it seems ungrateful to cavil, one could wish,
however, that his handling of those groups with which he is evidently less familiar, such
as cryptogamic plants, had been checked, at least at proof stage, by a second opinion,
since there are a disquietingly high number of spelling/typographical errors, particularly
where Latin nomenclature is involved. His definitions are particularly weak, an outstand-
ing example being his attempt to define cryptogam (here given as cryptogram!) on page
148. Any future reprint should at least supply an errata list — the publisher cannot even
spell ‘ecological’ correctly on the dust-jacket!

Nevertheless, this is a most interesting work, which will be enjoyed by many.

MRDS

WILLIAM BACKHOUSE (1807-1869) OF ST JOHN’S HALL,
WOLSINGHAM: ENTOMOLOGIST, ORNITHOLOGIST AND
HORTICULTURALIST

PETER DAVIS

The Hancock Museum , The University, Newcastle upon Tyne

Introduction

The complex genealogy of the Backhouse family has been documented by Foster (1894),
who traced the lines of descent from John Backhouse (d. 1691) of Moss-side, Yealand
Redman, near Carnforth in Lancashire. A staunch Quaker, he was imprisoned in
Lancaster Castle for his beliefs in 1661. The link with the north-east of England from
these Lancastrian beginnings was via John Backhouse’s great-grandson, James Backhouse
(1721-1798), who moved to Darlington, Co. Durham, in 1746 and established himself
as a flax-dresser and linen manufacturer, in partnership with his father-in-law, Jonathan
Hedley (Anon, 1918). Later, in 1774, with his sons Jonathan and James, he founded
the Backhouse Bank. According to Raistrick (1968) ‘the bank became one of the most
stable influences in the finance of northern business, surviving several crises in which
many other local banks failed.’ From this time on the Backhouses were involved in the
fields of banking, commerce, industry and politics; their success in accumulating wealth
provided the opportunity for travel, and a measure of leisure time in which to pursue
other interests. Quakers were advised not to take part in ‘vain sports’ (Queries and
Advices 1791) although outdoor recreation was permissible, it was largely restricted to
country walks which ‘should be a subject of observation and reflection’. It was inevitable
that this edict led to an interest in the natural world in the Quaker community, and
many of them were to become outstanding naturalists in the nineteenth century.2 A
number of members of the Backhouse family feature amongst them; perhaps the best
known and respected was James Backhouse (1794-1869) of York, who studied the flora
of Australia from 1831-1838, developed one of the best known nurseries in England at
York, and discovered many of the rare plants of Teesdale with his son, James
(1825-1890). James senior’s cousin William Backhouse (1779-1844), grandson of James
Backhouse the first banker, was also a botanist of some repute. He was a correspondent
of the Newcastle botanist N. J. Winch (1768-1838), supplying him with lists of the rare
plants of Co. Durham,3 and exchanging specimens with him. William Backhouse was
acknowledged as a source of information in Winch, Thornhill and Waugh, The Botanist’s
Guide through the Counties of Northumberland and Durham (1805, 1807) and in Winch’s
Flora of Northumberland and Durham (1831). He had a special interest in grasses and
mosses, and corresponded with many well-known botanists, including James Janson
(1784-1821), Edward Robson (1763-1813), William Brunton (1775-1806), Rev. James
Dalton (1764-1843) and George Don (1764-1814). Baker (1903) comments that William
Backhouse senior botanized mainly around Darlington and Seaton Carew, that he
discovered Ranunculus parviflorus near Darlington at its most northern locality in
England, and sent specimens of Bromus arvensis to Sowerby. He died suddenly at a
Friends Meeting in Darlington in June 1844. 4 Backhouse’s plant collection was considered
of some significance; it was unfortunately destroyed by fire, along with many other
notable herbaria, when on loan to J. G. Baker in 1865. 5

William Backhouse (1807-1869)

William Backhouse senior had two sons and three daughters; the eldest son, William
(Fig. 1), was to continue the family interest in botany, become a competent entomologist,
ornithologist, geologist and meteorologist, and excel as a breeder of the genus Narcissus.
Born in 1807, little is known of his early life and education; it is probable that he
attended Quaker schools in York.

Naturalist 112 (1987)

86 William Backhouse: Entomologist, Ornithologist and Horticulturalist

A branch of the Backhouse Bank was established in Newcastle in 1825 (Phillips,
1894); it was here that William junior gained his first experience of the business world.
He was eventually to become the owner of large estates in County Durham, having
shares in many business ventures, including railway companies, iron-works, gas-works,
foundries and saw-mills. He was also prominent in public service: he was Chairman of
the Darlington and Stockton Board of Health, served as a Guardian of the poor and a
Waywarden, and was active in local Temperance and Bible Societies.

FIGURE 1

William Backhouse (1807-1869)

The Dean Street, Newcastle, branch of the Backhouse Bank operated until 1836;
during his time in Newcastle William Backhouse became involved in natural history
circles — he came to know N. J. Winch, possibly through his father in the first instance —
an interest which resulted in him becoming a founder member of The Natural History
Society of Northumberland, Durham and Newcastle upon Tyne in 1829. 6 Joining the
Society had another benefit: through it he met J. H. Fryer, a local expert in mollusca,
whose daughter Amelia he married in 1833. Although William was to move back to
Darlington, he maintained a close link with the Newcastle naturalists, and is listed as a
member of the Tyneside Naturalists’ Field Club in 1847.

William’s activities as a field botanist are less noteworthy than his father’s. Other than

William Backhouse: Entomologist, Ornithologist and Horticulturalist 87

a few plant specimens (which may have been annotated ‘W. B. jun’. in error) in the
Winch herbarium in the Hancock Museum, Newcastle, there is little to prove more than
a passing interest. As an entomologist however, he specialized in Lepidoptera, and
made extensive notes on the Lepidoptera of Dryderdale and Shull — Backhouse estates
in Durham. William’s records were incorporated into a Catalogue of the Lepidoptera of
Northumberland and Durham by J. E. Robson (1902). For example, he provided Robson
with the first record for Camberwell Beauty, Nymphalis antiopa, c. 1820 at Seaton
Carew on the Durham coast, and found the Large Heath Coenonympha tullia near
Seaton Carew. Robson states in the introduction to his Catalogue: I was entrusted with
the whole of the entomological lists and notes of the late Wm. Backhouse, of Shotley,
which I have largely drawn upon. As they refer to other orders as well as Lepidoptera,
I propose, when this Catalogue is completed, to place them with the Museum authorities
at Newcastle, as some of them may be useful at a future time if lists of other orders
should be prepared’. The notes cannot be traced; from Robson’s statement it is evident
that Backhouse had wide entomological interests which had begun in his teens.

Further evidence of Backhouse’s interest in insects, particularly moths and butterflies,
is found in his correspondence with Henry Tibbats Stainton (1822-1892). Letters from
William Backhouse in the Stainton Correspondence at the British Museum (Natural
History) cover the period 1857-1867, and refer mainly to subscriptions for Stainton’s
The Natural History of the Tineina (Van Voorst, London, 1855-1873) and List of British
Lepidoptera . . . arranged as in the Manual of British butterflies and moths (Van Voorst,
London, 1857-1859). Backhouse evidently sent specimens to Stainton for identification,
and offered some for incorporation into his collections. Reference is also made to ‘. . .
my Friend Geo. Wailes’. George Wailes (1802-1882) was a Newcastle solicitor, a founder
member of the Natural History Society of Northumberland, Durham and Newcastle
upon Tyne, and President of the Tyneside Naturalists’ Field Club in 1861. He published
a Catalogue of the Lepidoptera of Northumberland and Durham in the latter’s Trans-
actions (7: 189-234), and contributed Lepidoptera records to Stainton’s Manual. Another
northern contributor to the Manual was a contemporary of William Backhouse, John
Sang, the Darlington entomologist, regarded by Dunn (1983) as ‘probably the finest
lepidopterist the North East has ever produced’. The records in Stainton’s Manual
suffixed ‘Da’ were supplied by him. There can be little doubt that Backhouse and Sang
must have corresponded, and even collected together. Backhouse was a competent
watercolourist, and produced some pleasing representations (Fig. 2) of lepidoptera and
their larvae.7 Interestingly, Robson (1902) states ‘. . . among Mr. Backhouse’s papers I
found three water colour figures of an immature larva of this species [the Dark Tussock,
Dasychira fascelina] marked “on ling, 13.5.59 fixed for casting it’s [s/c] skin”.’

His fascination with birds must have developed at an early age. A manuscript catalogue
dated 1823-1833 ‘Birds in WB junrs Collection’8 indicates ‘when and where got’ and
lists some 347 specimens, many of them shot in the environs of Darlington and on the
Durham coast by William himself. Other members of the Backhouse family sent
specimens to the young ornithologist, mainly from the North of England (James and
Thomas Backhouse, the York nurserymen, sent him examples of ducks from York for
instance), but also items collected during business trips; there are also a number of
specimens obtained in Leadenhall Market. William kept an account of the cases made
to house his stuffed birds,9 and lists their contents, manufacturer and date made. He
continued to develop as an artist, producing watercolours (Fig. 3), steel engravings and
pencil drawings of a variety of subjects, but especially birds.111 Of particular interest are
two large sets of pencil drawings of British birds which are annotated with colour notes,
measurements, and details of habitat (Fig. 4). It may be that William Backhouse planned
to produce an illustrated account of the British avifauna, as in one manuscript he
allocates space to each species according to size of bird, and indicating the reductions
which would be necessary, dividing all species into two separate categories of ‘Land
Birds’ and ‘Water Birds’.11 The majority of the line drawings of birds date from 1835—
1839; it is interesting to speculate on the impact that the ornithological works of Thomas

88 William Backhouse: Entomologist , Ornithologist and Horticulturalist

FIGURE 2

A watercolour by William Backhouse of a larva of the Grey Dagger Acronicta psi (top)
and larva and adult of the Vapourer Orgyia antiqua

Bewick, John Gould and Prideaux John Selby, perhaps available to a wealthy family,
may have had on the young, energetic Backhouse.

When William returned to the Darlington Bank, he took up residence at Shull House
(Fig. 5), adjacent to the family estates which had been purchased early in the nineteenth
century. Following a transfer of property in 1847, William moved to the house known
as St. John’s (Fig. 6) which lies in a remote situation on the edge of Pikeston Fell,
overlooking the town of Wolsingham. It was here that he began his major horticultural
work, the development of new varieties of bulbs, especially narcissi and lilies. Coats
(1968) suggests that Backhouse may have been inspired by William Herbert’s Amaryllida-
ceae (1837): however it seems that he did not begin hybridizing in earnest until 1856.
Being a busy man, he carried out his experiments before leaving for work; his plants
were kept in a small glass porch adjacent to his study.

William Backhouse: Entomologist, Ornithologist and Horticulturalist

FIGURE 3

Watercolour of green woodpecker by William Backhouse

Igg

FIGURE 4

An outline drawing of a pochard, with detailed measurements, made by William

Backhouse in 1834

90 William Backhouse: Entomologist, Ornithologist and Horticulturalist

FIGURE 5

Shull House in 1835. A pen and ink drawing by William Backhouse

FIGURE 6

St. John’s Hall, Wolsingham, 1987

William Backhouse: Entomologist, Ornithologist and Horticulturalist 91

In the development of small crowned narcissi, Backhouse aimed mainly for colour,
using Narcissus poeticus poetarum , majalis angustifolius , and what he described as ‘an
early variety’, possibly N. poeticus ornatus , to produce many splendidly coloured forms.
Backhouse also worked on the development of trumpet daffodils; ‘Emperor’ and
‘Empress’,12 raised from crosses between Narcissus pseudo-narcissus and Narcissus
bicolor, were particularly successful varieties, so much so that they are still (1987)
available as cultivars. ‘Weardale Perfection’, another trumpet daffodil, came from a
later generation of hybrids, and was selected from a batch of bicolor trumpet seedlings.
According to Bowles (1934), William Backhouse developed the original form of the
Barri daffodils, including the varieties ‘Crown Prince’ and ‘Crown Princess’. Backhouse
kept meticulous records of the origin and performance of his various crosses, and of the
planting schemes used in the garden at St. John’s.13 Backhouse summarized much of his
experience with the hybridization of Narcissus in a letter published in The Gardener’s
Chronicle (Backhouse, 1865).

Backhouse died in Leeds in 1869; before his death his plants were acquired by Peter
Barr (1826-1909) the so-called ‘Daffodil King’, seedsman and florist of Covent Garden
(Hadfield 1960) and found to contain no less than 192 distinct varieties. Barr had also
obtained the narcissi of Edward Leeds (1802-1877), gardener and nurseryman of
Pendleton, near Manchester, which held 169 varieties; he used these two great collections
to develop, with John Gilbert Baker (1834-1920) of Kew, an artificial but convenient
classification system for narcissi. Leeds, Barr, Backhouse and F. W. Burbidge of Dublin
can be regarded as the four pioneers of the early development of the daffodil in Britain,
and the system adopted used their names for its subdivisions; thus the terms ‘Leedsii’,
‘Barri’, ‘Backhousei’ and ‘Burbidgei’ came into common usage.14 In 1884, the year of
the first ‘Daffodil Conference’, Peter Barr published Ye Narcissus or Daffodyl Flowre
and Hys Roots, with Hys History and Culture, embodying besides all the old species
and varieties of daffodils, a complete list of the new Leeds and Backhouse seedlings.

Acknowledgements

My thanks are due to Brent Elliott, Librarian of the Royal Horticultural Society for
patiently responding to many queries and to Sue Hubbard, Archivist for Hereford and
Worcester County Council, for making the Backhouse archive available to me. James
Page of Sutton Court, Hereford, welcomed my research into the achievements of his
family, and allowed access to family papers and correspondence as well as providing
stimulating discussion and useful information. The Small Research Grants Committee
of the University of Newcastle provided funds for this work.

Notes

1. Queries and Advices, 1791, quoted in Journal of the Friends Historical Society 49:
221 (1961).

2. Raistrick (1968), for example, refers to Thomas Lawson (1630-1691), Peter Collinson
(1693-1768), Phillip Miller (1692-1771), John Bartram (1699-1777), James Logan
(1674-1751), John Fothergill (1712-1780), William Curtis (1746-1799), William
Woodville (1752-1805), John Dalton (1766-1844) and Lewis Weston Dillwyn ( 1778—
1855).

3. Winch Correspondence, Linnean Society.

4. In the Hooker Correspondence at Kew, there is a letter from James Backhouse 1
of York to William Hooker, 18 June 1844, ‘. . . he rose from his seat ... to all
appearance with the intention of addressing the congregation, paused a moment
and fell dead without the least struggle.’ In one respect this event was fortuitous,
as William had been due to set sail to Norway on a preaching mission with Edward
Backhouse junior of Sunderland. The vessel on which they had booked their passage
foundered in a storm with the loss of all hands. James Backhouse wrote to Hooker
of this event on 25 June ‘How great are the uncertainties of life! . . . Thus by the

92 William Backhouse: Entomologist, Ornithologist and Horticulturalist

sudden and unexpected death of Wm. B. the life of his nephew seems to have been
prolonged to his friends’.

5. Reference is made to the loss of William Backhouse’s herbarium in The Naturalist

(1: 41-42), . we have to deplore the loss of several valuable herbaria . . . two

good collections of plants, on loan, for the completion of the work [Baker and
Tate’s The Flora of Northumberland and Durham] . . . belonging to the late Mr.
William Backhouse of Darlington, and the late Mr. Storey of Newcastle.’

6. William Backhouse’s certificate which records that he was a founder member of the
Society is in the Hancock Museum Archives.

7. Private Collection, James Page, Sutton Court, Hereford.

8. Hereford and Worcester Records Office (G 89/104).

9. Hereford and Worcester Records Office (G 89/103).

10. Hereford and Worcester Records Office (G 89/102) and Private collection, James
Page, Sutton Court, Hereford. The pencil drawings date from 1832-1839; water-
colours (for example, Green Woodpecker and Turnstone), and engravings (of Little
Grebe and Skua) are individually dated within this same period.

11. Loose sheet within G 89/103, Hereford and Worcester Records Office.

12. Nicholson (1884-1887) describes ‘Emperor’ as ‘Perianth deep primrose, trumpet rich
full yellow. Very large flower’ and ‘Empress’ as ‘Perianth white, and of great
substance, trumpet rich yellow. A very large flower’. Burbidge (1875) figures both
varieties (Plate IX); they are also figured by James Andrews in The Floral Magazine
(Vol 8, 1869); there is also a plate in The Garden , September 15, 1883, and a
further engraving by Kohl in The Garden , December 3, 1892. Burbidge (1875) also
figures ‘Stella’, a star-shaped, narrow form of incomparabilis also raised by William
Backhouse (Plate XIX).

13. Hereford and Worcester Records Office (G 89/105; G 89/106; G 89/107; G 89/108;
G 89/109-115).

14. J. G. Baker first reviewed the genus Narcissus in The Gardener’s Chronicle in 1869;
a modified version of this is included in Burbidge (1875). Baker’s grouping of the
species, varieties and hybrids of Narcissus was amplified in The Gardener’s Chronicle
for 1884. The list is divided into Series 1, Genuine Species and their varieties, and
Series 2, Hybrids, known or presumed, both series having subdivisions based on
corona length. Barri ( N . poeticus x N. pseudo-narcissus ), Leedsii ( N . montanus
x N. pseudo-narcissus ) and Backhousei (parents not established), are included in
Series 2, Mediocoronati. (Corona equal to or greater than the division of the
perianth.) Nicholson (1884-1887) lists ‘Backhousei’ ‘William Wilks’ and ‘Wolley
Dod’ as garden varieties of Backhousei, defined as having a coffee-cup shaped
corona. Other Backhouse names listed here are ‘C. J. Backhouse’ (‘the most
remarkable and attractive of the yellow form of Incomparabilis ’), and the Nelsoni’s
‘Mrs C. J. Backhouse’ (‘perianth pure white, and broad, cup yellow and very long’),
and ‘William Backhouse’ (perianth white, cup yellow).

Baker’s artificial classification was replaced by that of the Royal Horticultural
Society, which assigned narcissi to 11 divisions to accommodate all species and
hybrids — Trumpets, Incomparabilis, Barri, Leedsii, Triandrus hybrids, Cyclameneus
hybrids, Jonquilla hybrids, Tazetta, Poeticus, Doubles and Various. From 1st
January 1950 this classification was further modified, and the terms Leedsii, Barri
and Incomparabilis dropped. The present system has the following subdivisions:
1. Trumpet 2. Large-cupped 3. Small-cupped 4. Double 5. Triandrus narcissi
6. Cyclamineus narcissi 7. Jonquilla 8. Tazetta 9. Poeticus 10. Species, wild forms
and hybrids and 11. Miscellaneous.

References

Anon. (1918) The diary of James Backhouse 1747-1752. J. Friends Hist. Soc. 15: 21-
26.

William Backhouse: Entomologist, Ornithologist and Horticulturalist 93

Backhouse, W. (1865) Letter on the hybridisation of Narcissus. The Gardener’s Chronicle
and Agricultural Gazette , June 10, 1865, p. 530.

Baker, J. G. (1903) Biographical notes on the early botanists of Northumberland and
Durham. Trans, nat Hist. Soc. Northumb. 14: 69-86.

Bowles, E. A. (1934) A Handbook of Narcissus. Martin Hopkinson, London.

Burbidge, F. W. (1875) The Narcissus; Its History and Culture, with coloured plates and
descriptions of all known species and principal varieties. To which is added ... a
scientific review of the entire genus by J. G. Baker. Reeve, London.

Coats, A. M. (1968) Flowers and their Histories. Adam and Charles Black, London.
Dunn, T. C. (1983) Entomologists . In Lunn, A. G. (ed), A History of Naturalists in
North East England. Dept, of Adult Education, University of Newcastle upon Tyne.
Foster, J. (1894) The Descendants of John Backhouse, Yeoman, of Moss-side, Yealand
Redman, Lancashire. Privately printed at the Chiswick Press, London.

Herbert, W. (1837) Amaryllidaceae; preceded by an attempt to arrange the monocotyledon-
ous orders, and followed by a treatise on cross-bred vegetables, and supplement. J.
Ridgeway and Sons, London.

Nicholson, G. (1884-1887) The Illustrated Dictionary of Gardening. Upcott Gill, London.
Phillips, M. (1894) A History of Banks, Bankers and Banking in Northumberland
Durham and North Yorkshire, illustrating the commercial development of the North
of England from 1755-1894. Effingham, Wilson, London.

Raistrick, A. (1968) Quakers in Science and Industry. David and Charles, Newton
Abbott.

Robson, J. E. (1902) A Catalogue of the Lepidoptera of Northumberland, Durham and
Newcastle upon Tyne. Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc. Northumb. 12: 1-318.

Winch, N. J. (1831) Flora of Northumberland and Durham. Trans. Nat. Hist. Soc.
Northumb. 2: 1-149.

Winch, N. J., Thornhill, J. and Waugh, R. (1805) The Botanist’s Guide through the
Counties of Northumberland and Durham. Vol. 1. Hodgson, Newcastle upon Tyne.
Winch, N. J., Thornhill, J. and Waugh, R. (1807) The Botanist’s Guide through the
Counties of Northumberland and Durham. Vol. 2. Marshall, Gateshead upon Tyne.

BOOK REVIEWS

The Darkness is Light Enough: The Field Journals of a Night Naturalist by Chris Ferris.

Pp. 374, with line drawings. Michael Joseph. 1986. £12.95.

In recent years a number of naturalists’ notebooks and diaries have been published
but the present book by Chris Ferris is different in that most of the action takes place
at night — not just dusk but the dead of night from midnight to dawn!

Chris Ferris begins her studies when most other naturalists are retiring to bed. Night
after night throughout the year and in all weathers she has carefully recorded the habits
of nocturnal animals near her home. The observations of tawny owls, foxes and badgers
which make up the bulk of the book are all the more valuable because most have been
made away from the nest, earth or sett. She has trailed foxes and badgers for miles
across fields and through woodlands, and was accepted by at least one group of badgers
to the extent that they actually musked her!

I do have a few small criticisms. The diary format invariably leads to some repetition
and also means that observations on a particular subject are widely scattered throughout
the book. This latter point is partially offset by an excellent index, but I do feel that a
final chapter or two summarizing Mrs. Ferris’s major observations would have been
useful. Furthermore, whilst the black and white drawings which illustrate the beginning
of each chapter are attractive, the rather fuzzy, grey pictures which occur in the text
are not, and could well have been omitted.

However, these are minor criticisms of an otherwise excellent book based on first-
class field work. Chris Ferris is to be congratulated on pushing back the frontiers of
nocturnal animal watching.

Book Reviews

Wildlife and Wilderness: An Artist’s World by Keith Shackleton. Pp. 120, including 49
full colour plates. Clive Holloway Books, London. 1986. £15.00.

The dramatic seascapes and landscapes of the polar regions which Keith Shackleton
visited during fifteen years as artist/naturalist on the ship Lindblad Explorer are vividly
represented in this beautiful book. Browse through the pages and feel the intense cold,
experience the rough seas, and observe the patterns of light in an environment few have
the fortune to experience. I would defy anyone to look at ‘Windy Afternoon in the
Weddell Sea’ without taking a sharp intake of breath or study ‘Off Soundings’ without
feeling a little uneasy. The drama continues as Shackleton introduces us to the birds
and mammals of the Arctic and Antarctic. In many of the paintings wildlife plays a minor
role — an albatross distantly skims the waves, a penguin toddles across a glacier — but
even here Shackleton’s powers of observation and naturalist’s knowledge are evident.
The powerful, dramatic feel of the majority of the book is lightened by the occasional
closer look at the fauna — the discord and argument in ‘Gentoo Penguins’ or the
disdainful stare of ‘Five Weddell Seals’ for example.

Shackleton writes as well as he paints, and his descriptions of each of the plates, as
well as his introductory ‘Some thoughts on painting’ provide entertaining and often
amusing background reading, as well as giving us a rare glimpse of the philosophy of
one of our most distinguished wildlife artists. It is his view that of all the ingredients
that go to make painters, ‘the only one that matters is sincerity with oneself and this
simply means painting, or trying to paint, from the heart, and doing one’s own thing’.

The paintings, 48 in all, have been splendidly reproduced and the publishers are to
be congratulated for their efforts to bring them together in a book which is extremely
reasonably priced; an essential read for anyone with a love of wilderness.

PSD

Jim Corbett’s India, selected by R. E. Hawkins. Pp. 250. Oxford University Press. 1986.
£4.95.

Despite the huge loss of natural habitat, India is still a Mecca for naturalists. Yet
many of today’s visitors must long for a taste of the old India, the India of the British
Raj, of an era, which like most of the jungle, has gone forever. This is Jim Corbett’s
India. This inexpensive paperback volume includes exciting extracts from such classics
as ‘Man-eaters of Kumaon’, ‘Jungle Lore’ and ‘The Man-eating Leopard of Rudraprayag’.

The publishers are to be congratulated for making these long out-of-print stories
available to a new generation of naturalists.

Corbett was one of the breed of great British hunter-naturalists who became a legend.
It must reflect well on the man that one of the most important national parks in a long
independent India still proudly bears his name.

JKS

No Ordinary Gardener: Thomas Knowlton 1691-1781 by Blanche Henrey; edited by
A. O. Chafer. Pp.324, numerous illustrations. British Museum (Natural History),
London. 1986. £17.50.

Those interested in the history of botany, landscape gardening and horticulture have
cause to be grateful to Blanche Henrey for assembling such a body of information, to
A. O. Chater for editing the material after the author’s much lamented death, and to
the British Museum for the high quality of production. The volume will be of particular
interest to Yorkshire readers, since it not only provides a detailed study of the famous
garden at Londesborough but also contains much information on many Yorkshire
worthies such as Richard Richardson and Samuel Brewer. In addition, there are
numerous references to the Yorkshire flora of the 18th century.

Blanche Henrey’s detailed researches have brought to life a hitherto somewhat
shadowy figure.

YAH

ANT SPECIES IN YORKSHIRE

C. A. COLLINGWOOD
City Museum, Leeds

and J. HUGHES
19 Grange Close, Wrexham

Yorkshire, despite its varied topography and geology, has a limited number of indigenous
ant species, only 17 species having been recorded in their natural habitat compared with
a total of 42 from the British Isles as a whole. This paucity of ant species in Britain
north of an approximate line from the Wash to the Mersey is at least partly attributable
to the low summer sunshine and temperature. In this area mean hours of bright sunshine
rise above six only during May and June on the coast, and the mean temperature for
July, the hottest month of the year, seldom reaches 15°C. However there are some
interesting features with regard to recent fossil records.

Indigenous species presently known are as follows:

VC 61

Myrmica lobicornis Nylander •

M. rubra (Linnaeus) •

M. ruginodis Nylander •

M. sabuleti Meinert •

M. scabrinodis Nylander •

M. sulcinodis Nylander •

Leptothorax acervorum (Fabricius) •

Formicoxenus nitidulus Nylander

Formica fusca Linnaeus •

F. lemani Bondroit •

F. lugubris Zetterstedt •

F. rufa Linnaeus o

Lasius flavus (Fabricius) •

L. mixtus (Nylander) •

L. fuliginosus (Latrielle)

L. niger (Linnaeus) •

L. umbratus (Nylander)

Additional fossil records of indigenous species:

Stenamma westwoodii (Westwood) •

Leptothorax corticalis (Schenck) •

Hypoponera punctatissima (Roger) •

• 1961 ->
o Pre 1961

Introduced species temporarily or permanently resident:

Pheidole tenerifana Mayr
Tetramorium bicarinatum (Nylander)

Monomorium pharaonis (Linnaeus)

Paratrechina vividula Nylander

In addition to the above, some of which attain pest status in heated premises such as
hospitals, bakeries and industrial establishments, a number of species are occasionally
introduced from time to time on imported plant material or carried in inadvertently in
luggage or vehicles. The most notorious of these is the Argentine Ant Iridomyrmex
humilis Mayr, which pullulates along the Mediterranean coast and has been reported

Naturalist 112 (1987)

Ant Species in Yorkshire

from a kitchen in East Yorkshire. Apart from Monomorium pharaonis which has long
been established in our major cities and is very difficult to dislodge, most imported ants
do not survive long at any one site and being denizens of warm temperate zones cannot
establish themselves outdoors in our climate. Carpenter ants, Camponotus pennsylvanicus
Mayr and C. herculeanus (Linnaeus) respectively are occasionally reported from docks
and timber yards imported in timber from North America or Europe; although they
might reasonably be expected to establish themselves, for example in forestry plantations,
they have never been known to do so.

Indigenous Species

The genus Myrmica is represented in Britain by 9 species, of which 6 occur in Yorkshire.
M. lobicornis, recognizable by its dark gaster and the toothlike process on its angled
scape, occurs in single colonies on stony pasture, heath and dry open woodland. It is
somewhat local but may best be found on south facing rocky slopes. M. rubra is
widespread and common except on the higher exposed moors. It is abundant on the
lower slopes and in river valleys in the Dales. Nests usually contain many queens. This
species has the most vicious sting of all the British ants, being comparable with that
from a stinging nettle. It is distinguished from the more widespread and commoner M.
ruginodis by the shorter, more broadly based spines, smaller petiole and weaker
sculpture. M. ruginodis is probably the most widespread of all British ants and may be
found equally abundantly on high and low ground; it is often the only species found on
the high moors.

M. scabrinodis and M. sabuleti have rather similar habits, but the former with its smaller
scape process is much more generally distributed. M. sabuleti is quite local in Yorkshire,
although often quite numerous where it does occur. It is mainly found in warm places
such as sheltered sunny banks. M. sulcinodis is perhaps the more interesting species in
this group; it is a characteristic ant of drier moorland over millstone grit such as the
heather moors around Pateley Bridge (SE 16) and Haworth (SE 03) but is also common
on the North York moors. It is a dark red, deeply sculptured species and unlike the
other Myrmica species is not to be found on the plains in agricultural areas.

Leptothorax acervorum is a small species generally associated with woodland, living in
tree stumps. In Yorkshire, however, it is frequent on high open moorland, nesting under
dry peat between tussocks of heather. Formicoxenus nitidulus is an interesting species,
since it is only to be found living as an inquiline in nests of the large wood ants of the
Formica rufa species group. It is a minute, shining ant, relatively seldom observed
because of its size and cryptic habits but it occurs with wood ants in the Scarborough
area, to the north of Helmsley (SE 68) and in the Hebden Bridge (SD 92) woodland
complex.

Formica fusca , the large black ant, is a southern species in the British Isles and is very
local in Yorkshire, where it is known from a few lowland localities including Strensall
Common (SE 66), Meanwood Park, Leeds (SE 23) and southwest of Doncaster (SE
50). It is replaced in North Britain and on high ground by the very similar F. lemani,
which differs in the somewhat coarser sculpture and the presence in the worker caste
of bristles on the front part of the thorax. This is one of the most abundant ants in
Yorkshire but does not occur on the predominantly arable land of the plain of York.

Formica lugubris is the common wood ant of Yorkshire and is locally abundant on some
plantation areas of the North Yorkshire moors, w

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